


Of Boys and Cats

by Raelinae



Series: Of Boys and Cats and Everything Between [1]
Category: Free!
Genre: (Shh yes kitty gets her own tag), And swimmer boys being lovey-dovey dorks, M/M, Multi, lots of fluff, some drama
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-02-16
Updated: 2014-05-06
Packaged: 2018-01-12 15:47:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 27,649
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1190757
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Raelinae/pseuds/Raelinae
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A slice-of-life fic about the tumultuous relationship between three teenage boys. And one day, somehow, a cat got involved. Rin just found her; he didn't expect the small kitten to become so important to all of them. But now that she's a part of their lives, how much she comes to mean to them takes them all by surprise.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Of Boys and Cats

**Of Boys and Cats**

He'd been crouched in the abandoned outbuilding for at least ten minutes now trying to think and finally he gave in and multi-sent a text.

_'Hey. Can either of you take care of a cat?'_

Makoto's reply oozed apology and Rin couldn't help but smirk as he read it.

_'I'm so sorry, Rin, I really wish I could! But Ren and Ran are allergic... I'm sorry!'_

Haru's text was... to the point.

_'No.'_

Rin heaved a sigh, dragged a hand through damp burgundy hair, and stared down at his problem child. Well, problem cat.  
It was definitely a Japanese Bobtail, he could tell that much, and it was young. He could cradle it in one hand. Probably a kitten lost from its home and missing its mother. At least it was able to eat solid food, as he'd found out when it had taken to voraciously eating from a can of tuna swiped from the school's cafeteria. It was currently cleaning itself, purring contently, and with a fond smile he reached down and scratched its chin with one finger.  
The purring ratcheted up and its head lifted to luxuriate in the sensation. With a chuckle he stopped and it opened sea-colored eyes to stare at him.  
He thought it was really adorable and its eyes were undeniably gorgeous. A stark mixture of blue and green and therefore a potent reminder of both his boyfriends' own eyes. Makoto's reassuring emerald and Haruka's transparent sapphire. The redhead sighed and propped his chin on his fist.

"What am I going to do with you then..?"

His phone buzzed and red eyes broke the staring contest with the kitten. Surprised, Rin looked down at his cell, opening the message he'd just gotten from... Haru?

_'Why?'_

A grin tugged at the Samezuka student's lips. If it was one kind of animal the three of them could agree on, cats were that animal.

 _'Found a young one wandering the campus.'_  The kitten took intense interest with his phone once the tapping of buttons started. With a distracted warm smile Rin extended a pinky and tiny paws started batting at the digit. _'Can't keep it here, but it's so small it won't survive alone. And it's way too cold for it outside.'_

_'When can you bring it over?'_

Rin and his kitten one, Haru zero.

_'After practice tomorrow?'_

_'You practice on Saturdays?'_

_'Indoor pool. And a strict Captain.'_

_'When.'_

_'Should be around noon.'_

_'Makoto will be over anyway.'_

_'Good. I'll have to leave it, I'm supposed to help Gou out with something tomorrow.'_

_'It?'_

_'I didn't check or anything.'_

The smooth flow of messages was broken- Haru didn't reply. When the silence stretched on too long Rin suddenly rolled his eyes and set his phone aside and snatched up the kitten. It peeped in confusion and struggled when he turned it around and lifted its tail.  
 _Her_  tail.

 _'It's a she.'_  He texted the black-haired boy.

Though the 'took you long enough' went unsaid Rin could feel it. _'Bring her tomorrow and stay the weekend.'_

_'Whatever.'_

They both knew that dismissive reply was a yes.

* * *

The next day Rin, fresh out of the pool, bundled up the little critter in his Samezuka jacket and took the soonest train. The kitten was a surprisingly good sport and didn't squirm much more than enough to pop its head out of the jacket to look around with wide eyes. The redhead let it stare out the window and when it tired of that and curled up on his lap he scratched it behind the ears until it fell asleep purring.

* * *

Two pairs of shoes laid in the entryway, nice and straight, and it was the orderliness of it more than just the two sets that let him know Makoto was inside.

"I'm home!" He called out.

Not for the first time he caught himself saying it and smiled. This wasn't technically his home, but... It  _was_  his home. He lived here, and when he lived here he was happier than he ever had been anywhere else, even if it was only on the weekends.

"Kitchen," came Haru's calm tone.

He shuffled into the small dining room and was soon struggling with the kitten- it must've smelled the (what else?) mackerel Haru was cooking- and finally made it just as a small orange-and-black spotted white head popped out of one his school jacket's sleeves.

"H-hey you!" He yelped but she squirmed loose and ran for the black-haired boy.

Before she reached Haru, though, she was snatched by the tall brunette seated at the table (formerly) flipping through a magazine.

"Ahh!" Makoto exclaimed, holding her up and turning her left and right to examine her, "She's really adorable, Rin! She was just wandering around outside?"

"Yeah," the redhead tossed over his shoulder as he hung up his now-empty jacket. "I think she must've gotten separated from her mother or something."

When he turned back around he had to suppress the urge to laugh. Haru had come out of the kitchen with a small curled strip of mackerel and was waving it in front of the kitten's nose.  
She didn't want it.  
Haru looked mildly disgusted by the feline's adamant refusal.

"We're not having a cat that won't eat mackerel." He said stonily.

Rin rolled his eyes and lost his grip on a single short chuckle. "Yeah because if we did she'd starve to death because you cook  _nothing else_."

Haru, still miffed, whirled to leave when Makoto's free hand caught his wrist. "Haru-chan. Calm down. Put it down and let her take some time."

The black-haired boy crouched on the floor and carefully set the piece of fish down. Makoto gently put the kitten's paws on the floor and after a moment to collect its bearings those powerful eyes landed on the fish and it darted forward.  
The mackerel disappeared in two bites- if that hurried chomp-and-swallow maneuver could be called bites- and the little beast licked its chops and lifted those innocent oceanic eyes to Haru's blue.

"Mew?" It whined.

Haru blushed a little and hurried back to his lunch. Rin grinned and padded to Makoto's side, sitting heavily next to the brunette and receiving a welcoming kiss for his effort.

"How'd you know?" He murmured against Makoto's lips as they pulled apart.

Broad shoulders shook with a laugh and Makoto wrapped an arm around Rin's waist, fingers slipping up underneath his shirt to trace nonsense patterns against Rin's hip. "Some cats just won't eat food unless it's on the floor. I've seen it happen like that a few times."

A piece of fish came sailing in from behind the screen and bounced on the tatami. The kitten zeroed in on it and dashed after it, pounced on her prey, and upon a cursory sniff devoured her meal.  
Rin laughed and rested his chin on Makoto's shoulder and the pair watched as the little orange-and-black blotchy creature sniffed the floor to find more morsels of food.  
Another piece of fish, then a third. The kitten went nuts, bouncing around the rug to snap them up and eat them, and strutted toward the kitchen with her tiny stub tail straight upright. She knew where her food was coming from now. They couldn't see from their place at the table but after a second there was a soft laugh and Haru hummed "All right, all right."  
The kitten followed Haru out of the kitchen, twining around his legs and mewing piteously up at the human holding the food. Makoto chuckled and grabbed the small feline, allowing Haru to set a dish in front of Rin- he blinked and offered up a wryly happy smile at the sight of the beef bowl placed before him- and another in front of Makoto. Then he went back to the kitchen and came out with his own plate and a small sauce bowl held between two fingers.  
The kitten began squirming away at the smell of food but Makoto's big hands easily held her. She whimpered and whined until Haru put the sauce container on the floor (full of curled strips of mackerel) and the brunette released it. Eager, the kitten dug into her meal with gusto.

"Thanks for the food," Rin and Makoto chorused.

Haru hummed a noncommittal response but the edges of his lips turned up; then he realized there wasn't any room for him between his boyfriends.  
The redhead and brunette slipped apart easily, sliding their dishes over, and though Haru opened his mouth to protest Rin just rolled his eyes and Makoto gestured for their lover.  
The black-haired boy settled between them with a content sigh and leaned his head on Rin's shoulder as he picked apart his food.

Between bites green eyes cut sideways at the redhead. "So Rin, what's the plan for today?"

Rin rolled his eyes. "Gou won't tell me exactly. Honestly it's a little worrisome. If she won't tell me, it probably means..." He paused to chew, brow furrowing. "I won't like it."  
A hand squeezed his thigh and he didn't need to look to know it was Makoto's. Haru rubbed his cheek against his shoulder and it was all the comfort he needed.

"I'm sure everything will be all right," Makoto mused.

"I guess," Rin grumbled back, digging around for rice. "I'm still going into this meeting fully suspicious. I know my sister."

Haru hummed in a distracted manner. "Gou-chan doesn't seem like the sneaky type."

"Like I said, I know my sister."

* * *

The rest of the meal would've gone quietly had Rin not held a piece of beef out to the kitten (who snapped it up equally as eagerly as she had the mackerel previous) and the feline realized all the good smells and yummy food was located _up_.  
It led to her scrambling over Rin's lap then Haru's, only to fail her leap onto the table and end up in Makoto's. Who, like his normal big-brother self, began to feed her off his own plate, cooing at the little beast.

Rin, finished (with a kiss to Haru as thanks for the food), leaned an elbow on the table, and propped up his chin. With a shark-toothed grin he said "Damn, Mako, you'd make a good dad, you know it?"

Makoto jumped half a mile and his head whipped back around. "Eh?!"

Haru nodded decisively. "You would." He looked at Rin, blue eyes bright, and asked "Should we have kids?"

"We definitely should. You'd be the mom though."

The brunette's chopsticks dropped from nerveless fingers. "EHHH?!" He squawked.

Rin broke into raucous chuckles, purely unable to help it, and Haru joined him a second later because he was simply unable to keep a straight face anymore. The pair leaned against each other, shaking with wild laughter, and Makoto flushed. "I-it's not  _that_  funny! I thought you two were serious!"

"H-how were we serious?" Rin spat out between aftershocks of giggles.

"I don't know!" Makoto whined, stressing the syllables and turning redder and redder because Haruka couldn't stop laughing. He fell back to the floor, tears squeezing from blue eyes, and held his sides.

The kitten hopped over Makoto's knees and landed on Haru's shaking chest, peering down at the laughing boy, and it calmed the black-haired teen enough that he scratched behind the little thing's ears and murmured, "She still needs a name."

"Let's just name her what we'd name our daughter," Rin cracked.

A certain someone's green chopstick bounced off his head.

"It should be a boyish name."

The redhead balked. "What the hell, why?! It's a girl!"

"Because we're boys with girlish names. So she can be a girl with a boyish name."

Rin's right eye twitched. "Are you making fun of my sister?"

Blue eyes met red evenly. "No."

"So what are your ideas, Haru?" Makoto, still beet red but recovering, asked quietly.

"Shinji."

Rin shot it down within a second. "Fuck that, sounds stupid."

"Takeshi."

"Are you even trying?"

"Saba."

"We are  _not_  naming the kitten  _mackerel_ , Haru."

The black-haired boy looked down at the kitten grooming itself on his chest and sighed. "I tried," he told it morosely.

The same flying chopstick from earlier rebounded off his head.

"Concentrate, dolphin-boy."

Ignoring the projectile offense from the redhead, concentrate Haru did, tilting his head and giving the kitten a long hard stare.

"...Akiha." He said at length.

To his boyfriends' surprise, the kitten perked up.  
Smiling slightly, Haruka repeated the name and the kitten, with wide ocean-colored eyes, padded down the black-haired boy's chest. The other two watched with bated breath and the kitten braced itself against the slope of Haru's collarbone and pressed tiny paws to his throat.

"Akiha." As Haru said it again, drawing out the three syllables, the kitten carefully reached out and pawed his lips.

Makoto tilted his head and grinned his usual warm smile. "I think we have a winner."

"Not quite boyish," Rin muttered as he leaned over and scratched at the base of its nub of a tail. "But that's fine. It suits her anyway. Color-wise and all."

Haru craned his neck and pecked the tiny pink nose.  
"Welcome to the family, Akiha-chan."


	2. Of Love and Surprises

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Rin makes an unpleasant discovery and a pleasant one.

Rin left shortly after that and Makoto and Haru enjoyed a quiet afternoon playing with their newly acquired family member. Two hours passed with the pair trying to set things up for the kitten- a makeshift bed made from a spare box filled with old clothes ("Not that one, that smells like Rin." and "How do you know that..?")- and they were halfway through showing her the backyard when Makoto's phone buzzed.  
He blinked and let Haru continue to show Akiha around as he pulled his phone out of his pocket.

_'New text message from Matsuoka Kou.'_

Quirking an eyebrow he opened it.

_'HIDE EVERYTHING BREAKABLE.'_

The text, sent with clear emphasis, sent a shiver of cold dread down his spine.

"Haru!" He called, glancing up to see Haru waist deep in one of the hedges, Akiha held aloft as he struggled free from the shrubbery. Shrugging off the odd sight he glanced back at the distressing message. "Wasn't Rin with Kou-chan?"

"Yeah." Haru replied as he extracted himself from the hedge. "Why, something wrong?"

"Just got a text from Kou-chan, said to hide everything breakable. Any ideas?"

Haru tilted his head. "Nothing good."

Makoto sighed. "I'll put Akiha-chan out of the way and prepare the bed. You stop him before he  _does_  start breaking things."  
Another buzz.

_'And I can't wait to meet your kitten, big brother wouldn't stop talking about how cute she is!'_

Makoto snorted a laugh. "Oh, and our kitten is cute."

"Of course she is, Rin has good taste."

Makoto laughed as he headed back in the house- Haru sounded so proud of Rin's taste and  _clearly_  the black-haired teen meant their odd relationship- but he could hardly argue the fact.

* * *

The door slammed into the wall but Haru's gaze remained impassive, even staring down an infuriated Rin.  
Haru didn't even let the redhead start ranting. He stepped down into the entryway, yanked Rin to his chest, and pulled him into a kiss.  
It was messy and sloppy because Rin kept trying to break away to yell and complain; Haru felt the occasional sharp prick of those teeth over tongue and lips but he wasn't dissuaded.

"Bedroom," the black-haired boy growled out.

"Dammit Haru, I don't want to-!  _Fuuuck_ , fine."

* * *

An hour later and Rin was leaning against the headboard, boxed in by his lovers, petting their kitten in their bed.

"And then Mikoshiba just fucking waltzes up like it's no big deal and fucking  _kisses_  her, right in front of me, who fucking  _does_  that kind of shit? And I almost fucking punched him and I probably would've but instead I just-!" The redhead sighed. "I came home."

Makoto scratched behind tiny blotched ears and smiled reassuringly at his unhappy boyfriend.

"I'm sure he won't hurt her. Mikoshiba-kun seems like a nice person."

"Yeah but- but-" he spluttered. "But it's Gou! For fuck's sake she's my little- my baby sister!" He whirled on Makoto, red eyes pleading. "What would you do if it was Ran?"

Green eyes widened. "Er- that's- um. I-I don't... I don't know."

Haru plucked their kitten from Rin's lap and held her up to his face, smiling as she batted at his nose. "You know, Kou-chan isn't just your baby sister."

Rin knit his brows. "Pardon?"

"That's not who she is; it doesn't define her. She's her own person- you were going to have to accept her dating sooner or later."

The black-haired boy's lovers stared at him in stark surprise.

"W-well yeah, but still..." The redhead mumbled, red eyes bashfully on the sheets.

"I do think this was a bad way to break the news to you, though." Haru said, placing the kitten exactly where Rin's downcast eyes were focused.

Rin snorted and wiggled a finger for the kitten to attack. "No kidding."

Makoto rested his chin on the redhead's shoulder and distracted their kitten with a hand under the sheets. As Akiha scrambled over the jumble of limbs for her new target Rin frowned.

"Though you know... This isn't...  _that_  big a surprise. I mean, I knew the Captain was making eyes at my sister for forever, I just..."

"Didn't expect it so suddenly," Makoto filled in effortlessly. "I feel the same. The way they looked at each other was quite obvious, but to have suddenly made this step is surprising. I wonder what happened?"

Rin made a face. "Hopefully he just got the balls to ask her. I don't think I can handle the idea of them having a drunken tryst or a one-night stand or-"

Haru nudged Rin's hip with one hand. "Stop."

Makoto agreed, shoving the redhead's shoulder with his own. "We just agreed Mikoshiba-kun isn't a bad man! And you go saying things like that!"

Rin flushed. "I didn't say he was a  _great_  guy-"

Makoto rolled his eyes, nuzzled the redhead's neck, and bit at the heady throb of Rin's pulse. Rin sucked in a shocked breath but before he could question Makoto's brash action Haruka cupped his face and drew him into a kiss.  
It was the same as when he'd come home- Haru gave him no room to complain- except this time a large hand slid up his hip and he groaned.  
Makoto.

"Mako, put the kitten out and get the door," Haru mumbled quickly.

* * *

Rin awoke later suffused with warmth and almost boneless. He was stretched out on his stomach, right knee drawn halfway up and other leg out straight. His left arm curved over his pillow, index and middle fingers hooked over an edge of the headboard, and he had been resting his head on the crook of his elbow. The other arm was hidden under his pillow.  
He blinked, many times, bleary and heavy with a mixture of sleep and satisfaction.  
Slowly he lifted his head and glanced to his right- the bed lay empty- and then left and with a fond grin propped his chin on his arm to watch Haruka sleep.  
Except... Haru wasn't asleep. Half-lidded blue eyes attested to that. He stirred and shifted to lay on his side to stare back at the redhead.

"Where's Mako?" Rin slurred.

A tiny smile quirked at the visible corner of Haru's mouth. "Home."

Rin rolled his shoulders. "Why?"

"Don't know. Because he should? He can? Don't know." It was a random string of mumbled words but Rin understood.

"Because he'll be a good father," the redhead said calmly and nodded self-assuredly.

Haru snorted. "He would, you know."

"I know."

It was a tiny wrenching of guilt the original pair of boyfriends felt every now and then. Makoto was a wonderful enough person that he should (and to some degree they felt he deserved to) have a family and pass on his genes but instead...  
Instead he stayed with  _them_. He completed  _them_. He was  _their_  glue,  _their_  lover,  _their_  Makoto.  
And that was worth a hundred times the guilt they felt.  
Rin tried to want to get up but the sun was already long down, there was no reason to, and he'd already had an emotionally sating two rounds in bed with his lovers. He managed to flop more onto his stomach so that he wasn't partially turned away from Haruka.

"When did he go?" He asked haltingly as he struggled to drag himself out of the dregs of sleep.

"Hmmnnn, an hour maybe. I just know he fed Akiha and cleaned up the mess she made with the toilet paper."

Rin snorted a laugh. "Oh man, I'd forgotten about her."

"I did too," Haru muttered. The black-haired boy reached out and trailed his fingers over a firm bicep. "Should we get up?"

The redhead smiled at the gentle touch. "I'd say why bother, but I'm sticky anyway. Share the shower with me?"

Haru shook his head. "You first."

* * *

Haru had progressed to sitting up and pulling on some boxers (Makoto's, they didn't fit quite right) when the shout came.  
"NANASE HARUKA GET YOUR ASS IN HERE!"  
Startled by the use of his full name- said like a scolding mother, no less!- the black-haired teen scrambled out of bed and rushed down the hall.

"Wh-what? Rin, what is it?" There was no response and with an ugly fear churning in his gut Haru slammed the screen into the wall and-  
And stared with wide eyes.

* * *

Akiha was swimming delightedly in the half-filled bathtub, tiny paws churning the water, oceanic eyes brimming with what could be called feline joy.  
Rin was a helpless mess of giggles in the corner and upon seeing Haru in the doorway he pointed at the tub (as if the sight wasn't already arresting) and tried to say something.  
It was an unintelligible mess of words and laughter and Haru paid it no mind. He could not stop staring at the kitten in the tub.

"Haru!" Rin finally managed to get out. "Haru, our cat- our cat likes water!" He broke down into gleeful snickering. "Akiha likes to swim!"


	3. Of Stress and Movies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Late nights and early mornings and Rin is done with this crap.

Makoto returned to Haru's house an hour later, past eleven, to find his lovers sprawled out watching Haru's television- looked like Rin's favorite, Jaws- with a scraggly rat creature sitting between them. It had Rin's hand and was rolling around underneath it, biting and clawing and uttering squeaky growls, and the redhead calmly shifted his mauled appendage side to side to entertain it.  
Green eyes regarded the drowned rat with impunity. "What the hell is that thing?" He asked as he came in, discarding his bag at the doorway.  
Rin offered up a distracted hum and as Makoto came closer he recognized the nub of a tail and the orange spot that came down toward its left eye...

"Is that Akiha?!" The brunette yelped, staring in pure mortification at the bedraggled creature.

His boyfriends finally paid him due attention at the outburst.

"Yeah, of course." Rin muttered, looking mildly offended.

"What happened to her?" Makoto gasped. The second he picked her up, he knew.

"Haruuuuu!" He moaned, feeling the dampness of her fur. "Cats don't like water, you can't bring her in the bath with you-"

Rin snorted dryly and Haru deadpanned "Not that cat."

"...eh?"

Rin laughed. "She was in the bath before me, Mako. She loves water."

Makoto stared at the wet beast in his hands. "You're kidding. Please tell me you're kidding."

"Nope!" The redhead said brightly as he sat up, a mischievous smile baring sharp teeth. "She jumped right in."

Makoto groaned under his breath- just what he needed, another responsibility when it came to water duties- but a soft smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.

"I guess this is the cat for us then, huh?"

"All ours," Haru agreed with a smug smile.

Makoto chuckled. "One of you fetch me a towel so we can get this little ragamuffin cleaned up and dry before she catches cold."

Rin got up for it and came back a few minutes later with a dishtowel that he tossed to the brunette and instead of going back to Haru he sat next to Makoto within easy reaching distance of both to resume watching his movie.

As big gentle hands began to ruffle up damp fur Makoto said lightly "While I was home I got a few more texts from Kou-chan."

Rin sighed and rolled over, ignoring the movie, a sign that he was actually interested in this conversation.

"She wanted to apologize for any harm done, and wondered what your reaction was. Naturally," he flipped the kitten and began to tickle her belly with the towel, "I couldn't exactly tell her that there was no reaction because we had you a moaning mess, so I just told her you were upset by how she choose to reveal the news to you."

Rin scowled at the mention of being a 'moaning mess'- even if he truly had been- because while he had dialed it back considerably being with the two of them he DID still have quite a bit of pride.  
"So she's not upset?"

"Not if you're not," the brunette replied as he rubbed gently at their kitten's face.

She mewed and tried to struggle away but Makoto held her fast until he was finished, upon which he turned her loose from the blanket with a light toss that had her bouncing over to Haru. Akiha had a staring contest with the blue-eyed boy that ended with a tiny mewl and a soft laugh from Haru, who scooped up the small feline and dropped her in his lap.  
She stared up at his chin for a moment, then looked at Rin still stretched comfortably out on the floor, then turned a circle and settled into the hollow of Haru's folded legs. Her purr was surprisingly noisy for such a little thing.  
Haru yawned and rested his back against the table as he pet their kitten.  
Makoto smiled at the sight- Rin's hand loosely clutching one of the black-haired boy's knees- and leaned over the table.

"Tired?"

"Slightly," Haru replied softly, rubbing his eyes with the hand not currently stroking orange-and-black fur that was slowly refluffing.

Makoto reached for the hand and brought it to his lips, a fond tilt to his mouth at the sleepy grin he got from Haru for his affection, and hummed "Should we go to bed then?"

"Sounds good," Rin mumbled from the floor. "What do we do with Akiha?"

"She comes too," Haru said firmly, the diminutive body already tucked in the crook of his arm.

The brunette chuckled at his boyfriends' mixed reactions- Rin's mild disbelief and Haru's determination- and helped Haru then Rin to their feet.

Between waking up with a kitten collar and his phone's buzzing Rin wasn't sure which he was more upset about.  
His phone, he decided a few minutes later, once he had blundered out of bed by draping Akiha over Haru's chest and read the text causing all the trouble.

'Mikoshiba-buchou says we have a joint practice tonight.'

Rin growled and only realized he should stop clenching his fists when his phone made a couple of odd cracking noises. The absolute last thing he wanted was to see Mikoshiba, much less Mikoshiba and his sister, much much less on his weekend with his lovers. Honestly, it was bad enough that he only saw them at select times (even on the weekends) and yesterday had been cut even shorter than normal thanks to Mikoshiba and Gou and that debacle of a date/reveal.

He dragged a hand through his hair. 'When? Exactly?'

A moment later the reply was 'Six.'

Ugh, what timing. Normally Haru would be cooking dinner with either his or Makoto's help while the other member would clean. But not today, no, noooo.

'We're also supposed to go to Nanase-san's home once practice is done and look at your cat? Rin-senpai, when did you get a-'

Rin stopped comprehending the sentence briefly, eyes going back over the first part because had he read that right?

They invited themselves? That was not okay and Rin would be having words with someone about that.

Nagisa or Mikoshiba, he seethed. Only one of those two would be pushy enough to invite themselves. Dammit Rin just wanted a weekend with his lovers, their newly acquired housemate (now half off Haru and half-on the bed), and some time to himself.  
He pinched the bridge of his nose and expelled a hard breath.  
On one hand it meant spending more time with his boyfriends- since they had come out all at once about being together none of their friends minded them being handsy- but on the other it meant other people around on his weekends with his lovers.  
Yes, some time to himself would be good. A quick jog then.  
Rin sighed and let his head fall heavily to the desk. There really was no winning here.

"Rin?"

He knew the sleepy tone like he knew how to breathe. "It's fine, Makoto. I'm fine."

"No, something's happened. What's wrong?"

The redhead glanced at the bed and smiled. The kitten's tiny head and big bright eyes peeked out from between Haru and Makoto but his gaze was drawn to the emerald eyes watching him the graceful curve of Haruka's shoulder.  
The brunette was hardly awake but awake enough to be worried (though Rin had a sneaking suspicion that Makoto could be worried even when sleeping) and his half-lidded stare conveyed that without the need for words.

"Really. It's really nothing, Mako."

"Rin..."

He stood and shoved his phone in his pocket, smirking at the brunette. "I'm going to go on a run, okay?"

"Rin..." Makoto didn't need to say more. His tone- rich with worry, sadness, and that butterfly-inducing note of love- gave everything away.

"If it's still bothering me when I come back I'll tell you then, okay Mako?"

Green eyes remained troubled but at the very least he nodded.

"Be careful," he asked softly before he wrapped an arm around Haruka and Akiha and relaxed again.

He could think more clearly on his own anyway. Around the others there was too much clouding of his thoughts, in the bedroom or out, but most of the time he relied on that. Today he needed to think. The steady rhythm of his feet pounding the pavement in tune to his heartbeat was steadying.  
In the end, he decided halfway through his run, there was really no way he could say no. It'd mean going directly against his captain's orders and if he disappeared with half of Iwatobi's swim team it'd be pretty obvious he isn't actually sick. Worst of all Rin was fairly sure that Mikoshiba just wanted him around when Gou was to keep him on a leash. No better way to make sure that Rin wouldn't fly off the handle than by keeping his lovers, his friends, his sister, and their team all in the same room.  
The redhead sighed and toed off his sneakers, leaving them in the entryway. Draping the towel that was always hanging up in the hall for him over his shoulders and wiping his mouth with it, his brow furrowed as he headed up for Haru's shower. Mikoshiba was a lot more shrewd than he was normally given credit.

"Rin?"

He paused and shot a glance behind him, smiling slightly at the anxious yet drowsy look on Haru's face as he leaned out of the bedroom.

He ruffled his damp hair. "Mako told you, huh?"

"Told me what?" Blue eyes were honestly quizzical and Rin quietly blessed that saint of a Tachibana.

"Never mind then. Go back to bed, Haru, it's early."

A beat of silence and Haru hesitantly asked, "Are you headed to the shower?"

He nodded.

"Do you want company?"

Rin smiled and went back, kissing his boyfriend a thorough good morning, and had to smirk at the dazed expression he got in return.

"Not today. You take your time later. I'll start breakfast today. Deal?"

"I g-guess..." The black-haired boy reply was cut in half by a yawn.

A small orange-and-black-and-white kitten pranced out of their bedroom and twined around Rin's legs.

He grinned down at their kitten.  
"Akiha will keep me company. Sleep a while longer, Haru."

The kitten is soaked through only a few minutes into his shower but it was so hilarious to see the tiny baby looking like a drowned rat and patting at the drain that his bad mood evaporated somewhat. He took a few minutes sitting on the edge of the tub to ruffle the kitten dry. Wrapping her in the towel he laughed.

"You're something else, Akiha."


	4. Of Simplicity and Swimming

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rin needs to unwind and he knows just how.  
> (Also just letting everyone know I have internet issues and that updates are going to be few and far between so while I'm here, have a whole bunch of chapters! I would have uploaded five, but... in the end, that would have been a cruel and unusual punishment, leaving you stuck at the cliffhanger in chapter 8... heheheh~)

Rin made breakfast with miniature pinprick claws jabbing into his calf as begging.

"You'll get it when you get it," he chuckled down at the kitten.

Akiha mewed sadly and tried to climb his leg but all that earned her was a light reprimanding pat to the top of her head and a firm 'no'.  
It was when he transferred their breakfast into bowls that arms wrapped around his waist. He knew the firm body immediately, broader and taller than his own, and relaxed back into Makoto's chest. The brunette rumbled a laugh, buried his nose into the crook of Rin's neck, and inhaled deeply. A gentle bite in the same place as the night previous made Rin snort.

"Eat your food, not me."

"Mmm, but you taste better."

Rin shoved a bowl into the taller boy's shoulder. "Knock it off, Mako."

A quiet hum and a second little nip to his already bruising throat and Makoto took his own bowl for himself. Akiha followed him eagerly, tiny tail practically vibrating, minuscule meows and bright eyes painting a picture of desperation. Rin grumbled at the sight.

"You'd think she didn't get damn well half the mackerel I prepared."

The brunette just laughed as he took his seat.

"Where's Haru?"

"Bath."

"Mmm."

They sat across the table from each other, tossing pieces of meat and fish to their excitable (and apparently starved) kitten as Akiha delightedly devoured the morsels.

"Are you feeling better?" Makoto asked quietly out of the blue.

The redhead blinked. "Yeah, why- oh. No, about earlier... Mikoshiba has arranged a joint practice for today."

"Ehh?!" The brunette looked honestly shocked and Rin couldn't blame him. The news did kind of come out of nowhere. "When today?! Do the others know?"

"Not sure, and six."

Makoto wilted a bit from his startled posture. "Oh. That should be enough time to warn the rest of the team. What's so upsetting about a joint practice..?"

Rin gave his lover a disbelieving look.

"Mikoshiba. And Gou. In the same room. They will be hanging  _all over_  each other and I will have to watch. And I can't get mad because... Well, the team. Therefore, you guys will be there to calm me down. Well..." He smiled despite himself, propping his chin on his hand. "You two especially."

Makoto smiled back and it was then that Haru came in, wearing only his swimsuit as usual, and both his lovers' eyes were immediately drawn to the beads of water that slicked down his chest...  
Rin chuckled as Makoto's Adam's apple bobbed around his heavy swallow.

"I heard something about a swim practice?" Haru asked as he sat at the table.

And just like that his good mood was squashed.

Akiha seemed to sense it, somehow, because despite the fact that Haru was handing her morsels of fish she came trotting over to him with big wide eyes. She balanced one front leg on his knee and stretched up, reaching for his face with an orange-toed paw (how had he not seen that before?) as oceanic eyes bored into his. The sweet gesture- out of a cat no less- made his heart melt and a hesitant grin flicker over his lips.

Haru and Makoto were powerless to resist their answering smiles.

* * *

Rin sighed as he stretched out his muscles.

His run in the pool was another three swimmers away so he was in no big hurry. Nitori was offering running commentary by his side, listing off swimmer after swimmer as they did their individual laps.

"Nagashima-senpai's dive seemed really off today, I wonder why? And Natsume-senpai was having trouble adjusting his kick, probably because he's trying out a different stroke and- Ah, Tachibana-senpai's up!"

Red eyes snapped to the gorgeous definition of that broad back and a predatory smirk lit up Rin's face.

He ambled to Haru's side and the black-haired boy pressed back against him so that skin brushed skin with every breath. Makoto's green eyes drifted over and the teen smiled that sexy smile that was just for them- a slow, sensual curve of the mouth- but as the whistle blew (Rin could swear Mikoshiba was smirking) he leapt into the water all the same.

He gripped the block with both hands and drew his knees up, compacting all the hard muscle in that body into a tense bundle. Rin unconsciously strained forward. His heart was pounding, breath coming a little faster, body tingling with anticipation. Haru felt the slight motion, heard all the signs, and his lips quirked up ever so slightly.

Mikoshiba blew the whistle and Makoto's body released that tension, a spring no longer hindered, and his body arced beautifully through the air.

Dynamic. He'd said it before, he'd say it again. Makoto was a beast in the pool. It was hard to believe that he was afraid of water, with how powerfully he commanded it and bent it to his will, forced its submission to his stroke.

A quiet laugh broke his concentration and Haru was glancing sidelong at him. "Don't get too excited now Rin," he whispered coyly. The redhead wanted to pretend he wasn't, he wouldn't, but Makoto was truly gorgeous in the pool.

"Sugimura!" The fiery-haired Captain boomed. "Get your ass to the block!"

Sugimura, a first year, hurried up to the block, stumbled, and took position. Rin nipped at Haru's clavicle and followed the poor kid up to the edge.

Makoto finished his run and found Rin holding out a hand to him, expression uncharacteristically gentle. He yanked off his swim cap and goggles at once and took the redhead's hand with a thrilled smile. Rin hauled him out and pulled his lover into a tight one-armed hug before he released him.

Makoto's fingertips trailed like fire across the skin of his abdomen and he shuddered with eagerness as he settled into ready position.

* * *

He felt a stifling need to do something and looking around he realized what it was.

"Mikoshiba-buchou!" Rin called out.

His patience was already thin and his glare said enough. He wasn't to be fought on whatever he was about to say. Golden eyes scrutinized that face before the Captain broke out in a huge grin.

"What's up, Matsuoka?!"

"The guys and I wanna run a relay. We'll take lane seven."

Mikoshiba smirked. "Go on ahead."

* * *

There was a certain freedom he felt every time he shared a lane with his old friends that he wouldn't pass up for the world. He'd apologized profusely to Rei for being presumptuous but the blue-haired boy just laughed quietly and shook his head. "No, we've taken another advantage of you today, Rin. As an apology, please- go ahead and swim a relay."

He needed it all; Makoto's powerful swimming, Nagisa's exuberance, the smooth trade-off between himself and the blonde, the feel of the water as he cut through it effortlessly, never more at home than with them, Haru's perfect dive and that one-of-a-kind view he could only get when they were in a relay.

Makoto helped him out of the pool this time and didn't release his hand immediately. There was no cheering because this wasn't an event, it was a practice, but none of them had held back.

When Haru smacked his hand into the wall and looked up at them, panting, Rin just bared those wicked teeth in a prideful smirk.  
The whole Samezuka team was muttering behind their backs. Jealousy. Such a beautiful thing.

* * *

The train ride back to Haru's consisted of Seijuurou and Gou holding hands and talking with their heads together in low voices, Rin glaring murder at his captain, Haru's fingers drawing slow circles on the irate redhead's thigh, Makoto's hand teasing his waistband, Nitori trying not to stare at Rin being molested, and Rei and Nagisa up to their typical Rei-and-Nagisa duo (informally known among their friends as Reigisa) antics.

The walk up was more bearable. Nagisa chattered incessantly, hanging off Rei's arm, and though the teen constantly fixed his glasses it was also partially to hide a smile.  
Rin was between his lovers, as usual, a hand held captive by one on either side. It enabled him to be calm. To take deep breaths and will himself not to rip his Captain's head off.  
And the lovebirds followed behind the threesome, STILL giggling and whispering and he was going to kill Mikoshiba-  
Haru squeezed his fingers and he sighed, looking for the last member-  
Nitori had fallen back some, texting rapidly.

"Oi, Ai!" He called out.

The silver-haired boy's head snapped up and he jolted upon realizing how far he'd fallen behind. "Ah! Sorry, Rin-senpai!"

Rin rolled his eyes. "Don't apologize, Ai."

"R-right! S-sorry Rin-senpai!"

Nagisa giggled as Rin groaned. "What did I just say..?"

Haru squeezed his hand again. "We're home."


	5. Of Water and Friends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Makoto re-encounters old fears, Akiha makes new friends, Rin is a protective big brother, and they go their separate ways.  
> (Part Two of a four-part update!)

Chapter 5- Of Water and Friends  
  
The threesome split apart once inside- Makoto to find the subject of interest, Haru to cook, and Rin took off at a run for the convenience store down the hill because "Onii-chan you can't just keep feeding her human food!" and true, they hadn't bought any cat food for Akiha. Rin was already back in the house by the time Makoto found their kitten. And the brunette froze. Fear, strong and acidic, was raging through his veins.  
It was four inches of water in the tub, he told himself. There was no way the kitten could drown herself.  
But then, Haru wasn't supposed to nearly drown only a few inches from the riverbank, either. Makoto's worst fear rested on a few inches.  
Hands shaking, a terrible remnant of  _then_ , he reached down and plucked the soaked feline from the tub.  
She mewled pitifully but he didn't put her back. He found a towel and wrapped her in it, sat on the edge of the tub, and clutched her to his chest.  
Water could kill humans and goldfish without a struggle: cats fit between those things.

"Mako? You still in here?" The redhead spotted the brunette- and the aftershocks of his trembling- and his breath hitched. A glance behind the taller boy told him all he needed to know. "Oh he didn't."

"Rin, it's okay, really-" Makoto croaked.

But the redhead leaned out of the bathroom and yelled for their boyfriend.

"Rin, she's fine, I'm fine-"

"You're white as a sheet, Mako," Rin interjected sharply. "And he needs to know he  _can't_  do that. Something really  _could_  happen."

Makoto shuddered.

Haruka appeared. He saw Makoto and paled. "I didn't think of..."

Rin yanked him into the room and slammed the door. "Yeah no shit."

"I'm sorry, Mako- I'm so sorry. I thought a couple of inches for her to play in while we were gone wouldn't hurt anything."

"I overreacted," Makoto admitted with a self-deprecating laugh that sounded utterly  _wrong_  coming from him. "And it kept her from the toilet paper?"

His lackluster attempt on humor was allowed to end the conversation. Haru went to his side and unplugged the tub to let it drain (Akiha mewed mournfully and cat and black-haired human watched the vanishing water with vastly similar expressions) then knelt next to his boyfriend and wrapped his arms around broad shoulders.

"I'm sorry, Makoto."

"It's all right, Haru."

"It is  _not_  all right! Haru, you can't just-"

"Haru-chaaaan!"

"Onii-chaaan!"

Rin blinked and cast a disparaging look over his shoulder. "-you can't do that again. Don't ever. Let's show off our baby and get this day over with so I can enjoy the last of my night with you two."

* * *

Even though her fur was still half-slicked down Akiha was a hit from the second she bounded into the living room with bright teal eyes. Gou squealed and (finally) peeled herself from Seijuurou's side to appeal to the Japanese Bobtail.  
The kitten, suddenly timid in the presence of so many strangers, was extremely cautious in sniffing the redheaded girl's fingers while Gou waited with bated breath.  
A pink tongue rasped over her fingertip and Gou squealed again. Carefully she scooped up Akiha and leaned back and into Seijuurou's side (evoking a venomous look from her brother) and cooed at the soft kitten.

"Onii-chan she really is just the cutest!" She giggled. Rin's eyes drifted from his giddy sister to her boyfriend and... And he relaxed, just slightly, because the look on Seijuurou's face was nothing less than complete adoration. The golden eyes that regard the top of his sister's head are filled with an untold fondness.

 _Seijuurou really isn't that bad,_  Rin reluctantly admitted to himself.  _And he seems to really care for Gou..._

"Woooow, Haru-chan, Mako-chan, Rin-chan! This is the cutest kitten I've ever seen, I'm sure of it!"

Nagisa leaned toward the ball of splotched fur that Gou was holding and scratched their baby behind the ears. "Hi baby! I'm Nagisa! And that grumpy guy back there is Rei-chan." Rei spluttered but didn't say anything in his own defense. "And over there on his phone  _again_ ," the excitable blonde moaned dramatically, "is Ai-chan! Let's be good friends, okay?"

"A-again with Ai-chan, Nagisa-kun?" The silver-haired boy whined. Then pale blue eyes lit up.  
"Ahh, so cute! The stray you picked up before was nothing like this one, Rin-senpai!" Nitori crawled eagerly across the tatami and hesitantly petted the orange-spotted head of the threesome's kitten.

Rin sat heavily on the floor opposite his sister and Captain, regarding the group with one bored eye.

"Yeah, well, that one was a lot older and besides, it was pouring and it was hungry. Akiha's way too tiny to take care of herself-"

Gou squealed yet again, hugging the tiny body to her chest, and Rin smiled despite himself. "That's her name? How precious! A little autumn leaf!" She rubbed noses with the puffball and Akiha squirmed, trying to break free.

"Rin-chan's rescued cats before?" Nagisa asked Nitori, his open expression all curiosity.

"Yep!" The silver-haired boy nodded excitedly. "It was raining really hard and so he brought it into an abandoned outbuilding and fed it some mackerel from dinner!"

Nagisa giggled. "Rin-chan's just a big softie!"

Nitori agreed wholeheartedly before he remembered Rin was sitting not five feet away and now glaring at him. "Err, sorry, Rin-senpai."

"Whatever," the redhead groaned.

"He's also a sappy romantic."

Rin whipped his head around and snarled "Haru!"

His boyfriend just smirked at him.

* * *

Akiha was over the moon when Nagisa unearthed a couple of cat toys he'd packed just for her. His neighbors had had a cat a couple of years ago and they'd had a box of its toys in their attic and had happily given them to their bubbly blonde neighbor.  
Rin was falling asleep on Makoto's shoulder in the dying sunlight, Haru cradled in the brunette's arms and the pair watched their kitten bat a crinkly cellophane ball around the dining room and back. Nagisa, with impossibly happy giggles, kept picking up the ball and tossing it for Akiha again and again. Gou leaned against her boyfriend and her attention darted constantly between the excitable kitten and her brother's palpable contentment.  
The redheaded girl suddenly regarded her brother.

"Hey, Onii-chan, why was Akiha wet earlier?"

Rin stirred and sat up, rubbing bleary red eyes. "Why was she-? Oh." He smirked and snapped his fingers. Ocean eyes found the redhead immediately and she ran over to the threesome, leaping willfully onto Haruka's lap. The black-haired boy jumped and he looked around in confusion until he realized the disturbance was the sweet-faced kitten on his leg.

"Hey, Akiha. What's wrong?"

Rin snorted. "I tried to get her attention but she went for you instead."

"Why did you need her?" Haru asked as he lifted the small kitten. Akiha peeped and wiggled in his hands but her claws never came out.

"Gou asked why she was wet when we brought her in here."

"Haruka-senpai, you didn't bring her into the pool at practice or something, did you? Cats don't exactly like water..."

Haru lifted an eyebrow. "Makoto?"

The brunette chuckled and stood. He vanished out into the garden and came back with a bucket. The remaining members of the swim teams watched Makoto calmly head up the stairs swinging the bucket. The pipes overhead rattled and suddenly Akiha started struggling in Haru's hold. Rin chuckled and leaned over, wrapping one arm around his lover and the other hand found the kitten.

"Calm down, Akiha, he'll back any moment now."

True to the redhead's word Makoto came down the stairs less than a minute later lugging a half-full bucket.

The kitten went absolutely wild and Haru dropped her.

Akiha bolted for the bucket and more than one uneducated hand grabbed at the tiny body but she evaded Nagisa and then Rei, springing into the air- and landing in the bucket with a surprisingly large splash for such a little thing. And totally soaking Rei, but that was just icing on the cake.  
The orange-and-black splotched kitten mewled happily up at her pridefully smiling owners as the other people in the room (including the doused Rei) stared at the little beast in amazement.

"She- likes water?" Seijuurou ventured eventually, unable to take his eyes off the dripping kitten splashing in the bucket.

"Loves it," Haru replied, sticking a hand in the container to scratch a drenched chin.

Nagisa sat up quivering with joy. "Just like Haru-chan!"

"Our perfect pet," Rin agreed.

Gou watched as a fond smile flittered over her older brother's lips. She turned around and discreetly kissed a corner of Seijuurou's lips, grinning at the look of surprised affection she got in return.

"Hey, Sei, let's go ahead and head home, okay? It's getting late."

The others seemed to get the drift. They looked between themselves and Rei pulled an excuse about homework from nowhere and Nagisa claimed Rei was supposed to tutor him. Nitori, on his phone again, suddenly spoke up (trying and failing to hide a giddy flush) about meeting someone before Samezuka's curfew was enacted.

Rin regarded the flurry of excuses with due suspicion but when his sister winked and not-so-subtly gestured at his lovers he realized what she was doing was giving him the time he wanted.

"We'll go with you to the station."

The bucket is tossed out (to Akiha's distress but Haru caught Makoto in a deep apologetic kiss to show the gesture had been for the brunette's sake) and the doors to the outside world closed so their new family member can't escape.

* * *

Three steps outside the door the fiery-haired Captain leaned down and kissed his girlfriend.  
Four steps and Rin slammed Mikoshiba into the wall of Haru's house. The older teen stared at him for a moment, clearly caught off guard, and then golden eyes narrowed into dangerous slits.

"If you know what's good for you, Matsuoka, you'll let go now."

"Onii-chan!" Gou shrieked, rushing forward to grab her brother's arm. "Leave him alone! Onii-chan, please! Just stop it!"

"Rin!" Haru barked, just as startled.

Makoto took a step forward, ready to pull the pair apart if they started to fight, but then he paused. He examined. And he calmly let his hands fall back to his sides.  
Red eyes narrowed right back at vibrant honey, the corner of Rin's lip drawing back over sharp teeth, a clear threat.

"Not until I tell him  _exactly_  what Makoto told me when I started seeing Haru."

Though the black-haired boy's brow furrowed Makoto just smiled his usual easy smile.

Rin leaned in, wicked teeth glinting, and said in a perfect low predatory tone: "So help me, Mikoshiba, if you're not serious about this and you hurt my baby sister... I'll tear you apart, Captain. She's my family, and I won't see her hurt, Seijuurou, I really will not."

After a tense beat of silence a smirk slowly grew on the taller redhead's lips.

Rin didn't seem too surprised by the cocky surety in the Samezuka student's expression. He just looked up and held Mikoshiba's gaze.

"Am I understood?"

The older boy winked. "One-hundred percent."

"Good." Rin calmly released the elder and turned on his heel.

Makoto welcomed him back with a soft hum and a kiss as Gou started fussing over her boyfriend.

"Way to turn my own words against someone else."

"A big brother knows."

Haru looked shell-shocked. "You said that to Rin..?" And comprehension trickled into his eyes. "Is this why you were fighting?"

He sounded incredulous and hurt, and Rin waved the others away, taking his lovers aside.

"It is." Rin admitted quietly.

Haru's hands clenched tight at his sides. "But all I ever wanted was the two of you!"

"I know, Haru, I know that now. But this was before I knew how you felt. Before I knew how  _I_ felt."

"We were butting heads over how we felt about you. And we should've just talked to each other," Makoto sighed. He wrapped an arm around Haru's waist and pulled him close, burying his nose in the crook of the younger's neck. Rin ran a hand through his hair.

"I wish we had earlier. I didn't know how much I needed you- both of you."

He hooked an arm around them both and held them tight but it was easy to realize something was missing.  
The black-haired boy refused to touch either of his lovers. He was shaking with quiet fury.

"All that time-" he growled.

"Haru-" Rin and Makoto chorused.

He shook them off and glared between the two with betrayal in blue eyes.

"We'll talk about this tonight," he finished.

* * *

The walk to the station was awkward. Everyone could tell Haru was furious. Even if his expression hadn't changed from its usual impassivity there was a cobalt fire in his eyes and the easy camaraderie between himself and his lovers was broken.  
Rin and Makoto walked together a little apart, hand in hand, and they both looked completely ashamed.  
Still all three managed some semblance of normalcy as they told their friends good night.  
When Rin started to follow Mikoshiba and Nitori (to his classmates' surprise) Haru's voice cracked out like a whip.

"Rin. Where are you going?"

The redhead heaved a sigh. "Haru, I don't- I don't want to fight. I'd rather just go back to the dorms-"

"No, you're going to stay."

The redhead snapped and whirled back on the black-haired boy, teeth bared and eyes narrowed, but blue eyes stared back evenly.

"Stay." Haru demanded.

His red gaze thinned but Makoto stepped between them. "Rin, please. We really do need to talk about this. Running away again won't solve anything."

Rin bristled at the faint mention of his previous running- Australia still prods at him as both mistake and boon- but his shoulders slump and he gives in.

He doesn't move from his spot however. He returned Gou's hug and glowered at Mikoshiba, agreed absentmindedly with Nitori about something to do with school, dealt with Nagisa's gleeful farewell tackle, and nodded at Rei.  
And once the last train pulled away from the station and left the threesome alone, Haru turned away.

"Let's go home."

* * *

The walk back to Haru's home sent chills up Rin's spine because with his lovers nothing was supposed to be uncomfortable. He was supposed to be safe and happy with them. Not uneasy and edgy. It was making him physically ill. Sickness clawed at his gut. He just knew today would be a bad day...  
He slipped his shoes off in the entryway and started to walk aimlessly away, to find their kitten maybe, anything to get his mind off the numbing sadness sitting on his chest.

_God, don't leave me._

He barely registered the hand around his wrist holding him in place until the concerned voice broke through his reverie.

"...n.  _Rin_. Rin!"

The redhead jolted out of his depressed thoughts.

"Rin, we're never leaving! Couples fight, of course we're going to-"

But Makoto's reassurances weren't the ones he wanted to hear.

"Rin." The voice stirred something in him and lifted his lackluster gaze.

He sucked in a startled breath because that wasn't anger in Haru's eyes. It was heat and wanting and a curl of desire pooled in Rin's belly.

"You have a lot of time to make up for, the both of you." Haru said stonily.

Both Rin and Makoto regarded this new development with startled wonder. "H-Haru..?"

"We don't have much time. I'll feed Akiha. You two go get ready. You owe me a lot. All that time we could have been together..." He whispered softly as he walked away. "You and your pride."

The night passed in a blur of touches and shared breath and bodies.

* * *

Rin was gone when they woke in the morning.  
Haru stared at the empty space with a feeling akin to having his arm cut off. Something significant was missing and he ached for it. He closed his eyes and wished for the redhead to be in the bed when he opened them again... but of course the expanse of sheets and mattress remained cold and unfilled.  
A buzz caught his attention and he jumped. A tiny kitten head popped over the opposite edge of Rin's pillow and its pupils dilated until he couldn't see the ocean color of Akiha's eyes for the deep black. She sprang and batted at whatever was buzzing on Rin's pillow and irrational fear made Haru sit up and he reached out for whatever it was, sincerely hoping it wasn't anything that could harm him.  
His fingers closed around a smooth plastic shell.  
His phone?  
He grabbed it and their kitten and rolled over to face Makoto.

_'Two new messages from Rin.'_

Confused, he opened them.

* * *

Makoto was drawn up to consciousness by the sweet sound of Haruka's laughter. Green eyes blinked blearily open and focused with some difficulty on the black-haired boy.

"H-Haru?" He yawned. "What's going on?"

"I missed Rin," Haru responded past his dying chuckles. "And then my phone rang."

For the first time Makoto noticed the blue mobile clutched to his lover's chest. "Who was..?"

Haru showed him the first text.

_'Oi. Get your asses up. It's late.'_

Makoto breathed a laugh. "He's good, isn't he?"

Haru switched to the second he'd received and showed it to his boyfriend too.

_'Good morning. Love you both.'_

* * *

The pair of lovers go about their typical morning routine with a steadfast simplicity. Haru bathed and Makoto prepared their lunches. Haru cooked mackerel while Makoto showered. And they headed down the winding stairs with hands clasped together.  
They stopped at the Tachibana household- Makoto's father was on his way out the door when he saw them and greeted them exactly the same- because Haru was virtually his own child by now too- as he went to the garage. They let themselves in and were quickly greeted- Haru by the excitable twins and Makoto by his mother- until Haru shook off the twins and shooed them out the door for school.  
Makoto took a seat at the table and Haru disappeared off to the brunette's room.

"No Rin today, sweetie?" She asked, scanning the doorway like she thought the redhead was just late.

"He had to go back to his own school and dormitories," her son said quietly, a frown line appearing on his brow.

"And you miss him?" The brown-haired woman stated knowingly.

Makoto smiled slightly at his mother. "I always miss him when he's not around."

"It's not right when he's gone," Haru added wistfully as he returned with arms laden with books.

Tachibana Megumi knew about her son's relationship choices and as long as he was happy she would be happy with his decision. Besides, her son and Haruka had always been strangely close. She hadn't predicted Rin but it changed nothing; they all loved equally.

"Well I'm sure he misses you too!"

Makoto hefted his newly filled bag onto his shoulder and grinned. "We already got a reminder of that this morning."

Haru's lips quirked up happily. "He sent us a few texts to wake us up."

"Maybe you should return the sentiment." Tachibana-san said blithely as she handed over a pair of wrapped boxes.

Makoto blinked at the lunches. "Ah, okaa-san, I already made our lunches-"

The older woman cocked her head and smiled. "You never know if you might be hungrier than you thought. Here, boys."

Tachibana Megumi also had an iron will and the pair knew better by now than to argue with her. They took the wrapped bento with quiet thanks.

She waved them off with the broad grin Makoto had inherited.

"Goodbye, boys! Have a good day at school!"

* * *

Setting out his books for his first class Rin felt his phone buzz in his pocket and with a small, hidden quirk of the lips he pulled it out.  
It was from Makoto, and it was a picture.  
They were both smiling at the camera, for once, and Haru's soft smile made his heart ache. In the best way.

_'Love you too.'_


	6. Chapter 6

I did a thing: I poked at my Nintendogs game because I remembered there was a Calico option and lo and behold, I found the perfect kitten! She looks just how I imagine Akiha does so: { raelinae.tumblr post/64553221160/if-anyone-here-is-following-my-slice-of-life} That's also my Tumblr, if anyone wants to follow me (FRIENDS! 8D)~

**Chapter 6- Of Snow and Gifts**

Haru looked quizzical. "...Makoto we can't bring Akiha to school."

Makoto frowned, resolutely holding onto their kitten. "But something could happen to her if she's alone, Haru-"

"We're not bringing her to school."

Haru mentally kicked himself. He knew Makoto's sudden surge of protectiveness was due to his oversight of Akiha and the tub the other night.

The brunette fixed his boyfriend with big watery green puppy dog eyes and Haru had to bite his lip to fight the urge to give in. "Makoto. No.  
We'll get in deep trouble if we show up with a kitten."

"But what if- I mean, the toilet- what if she-"

_Now_  the brunette was just being ridiculous. Still, Haru sighed and said pragmatically, "Our kitten is not going to drown in the toilet, Makoto."

"...you're sure?"

The black-haired boy resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "We'll leave the seat down. Now let's go or we'll be late for the train."

* * *

The day and their practice passed quickly but yet not quickly enough. It was Monday and the Captain and Vice-Captain of the Iwatobi team were always a little subdued after a weekend with their lover. Gou sighed heavily upon seeing the pair.

"Honestly," she groaned at lunch, watching the two pick at their food. "You and Onii-chan are so alike."

Before the older boys could mount a defense Nagisa leapt in with a cheerful grin and threw his hands up. "It's the power of LOOOOVE!" He yelled.

Rei jumped halfway across the table to clap his hands over the excitable blonde's mouth. "Nagisa-kun!" He chided. "Not at school! It's a secret!"

Because virtually none of Japanese society would take well to a threesome and teenage schoolkids were possibly one of the worst groups to come out to.

"Right!" Nagisa stage-whispered, holding a finger to his lips like he was telling his older friends to be quiet. "Sorry Mako-chan, Haru-chan."

"It's... It's fine, Nagisa." Makoto hedged.

"Just don't do it again." Haruka agreed.

"Anyway, cheer up!" Gou said brightly. "Who knows?" She exclaimed. "There might even be a surprise waiting for you at home!"

Her voice was too chipper and coy to be regarded as anything but suspicious.  
But it did mean Haru and Makoto were the first ones out of their classroom that day.

* * *

Haru lit up when they opened the door and encountered a familiar yet unexpected pair of shoes.

"Rin?" He called out, hope ringing in his voice.

A laugh was his response and Haru shucked his bag and rushed into his living room. Makoto, smiling, picked it up and hung both their bags up and followed at a more leisurely pace.  
Rin was lying on the floor and playing with Akiha, the tiny kitten ripping at his sleeve (ineffectually) with her back claws as he tickled at her belly every few seconds. A squeaky, rusty-wheel growl echoed from the small throat and made Rin laugh again.  
Haru went to his boyfriend's side and knelt next to the redhead, rolling him over to kiss the younger. Rin hummed and his not-mauled hand came up and twisted in inky hair.

"Yo," the redhead said. "Makoto, c'mere."

The brunette smiled and made his way to his lovers' sides, sitting and brushing his fingers down Rin's throat before he leaned in for his own kiss.  
They separated and Rin regarded them both with darkened red eyes and a smirk.

"What are you doing here?" Makoto asked as he decided to idly run his fingers through the supine teen's crimson locks.

"New rule: no practice on Mondays. I think it's so Mikoshiba can go on dates with my sister." Rin admitted with a grimace. "But I won't complain because it means time with you. Which, thinking about it, is probably another reason he decided on today. Making up for yesterday and all. So I came home."

His lovers smiled at each other at the mention of 'home' and Rin snapped his fingers between the pair.

"Hey! Don't go off and do the telepathy thing and ignore me, I have an important question."

He was given his due attention and he rescued his hand from their excitable kitten to fold his arms under his head. "I say we go out."

Haru tilted his head. "Go where?"

"Just out, shopping, maybe see a movie? I don't know, I'm just dying to spend some time with you two."

Haru seemed to be deep in thought and all of a sudden he blurted out "I want a collar."

Rin and Makoto choked, both looking wildly at their boyfriend who simply looked to be deep in thought.

"A collar with a bell," he amended, smiling. "And we'll need  _plenty_  of toys." He added suggestively.

"H- _Haru_?!" Makoto yelped as brilliant red crept up his neck to suffuse his cheeks.

"And we can have the bell engraved with her name and this address so if she gets out somehow whoever finds her will know where to bring her back-"

"This is about the  _cat_?!" Rin barked, a disappointed line appearing on his brow.

Haru lifted an eyebrow. "...yes? Why, what did you think I meant?"

Both his boyfriends looked aside, flushed bright red.

"Nothing," Rin snapped.

"N-never mind." Makoto stammered.

"It's true though," Rin muttered eventually. "Akiha needs a lot of things, and I have some spare money I've been saving up, so that's okay. Luckily we already bought a litter box at least."

Makoto nodded, propping his chin on his palm with a thoughtful sigh. "That's true, she needs hard food soon, probably the kind for kittens, more soft food, some toys, maybe." Rin reached for him and he extended his other hand with a gentle smile.

"So it's a date?" Rin asked, threading his fingers through Makoto's.

"It's a date," Haru agreed. "Let Makoto and I shower and change real quick and we'll be back. Keep Akiha distracted, okay?"

A soft peck to the redhead's lips and Haru vanished up the stairs.

"Thanks for this morning," Makoto murmured. He leaned down and brushed the back of his hand over the redhead's cheekbone. "I love you."

"I miss you when I have to go," Rin whispered back, nose brushing across the brunette's chin. "It was the least I could do."

The lovers stayed quiet and basked in their closeness for another few moments... Until the water pipes hummed.

Makoto chuckled. "I guess that's my cue. I'm looking forward to this, Rin. It's not often we get to spend a weeknight together."

"Forget the weeknights," Rin laughed. "When was the last time we had a date?"

The brunette nipped at the shell of his boyfriend's ear. "Two months and two days," he breathed into it.

Then, with Rin's shocked and betrayed eyes watching him go- how dare Makoto leave him after that little tease?!- the brunette went to join Haru in the shower.

"Ten minutes!" He shouted at Makoto's back. "If you don't come out in ten minutes I am turning on the sink and flushing the fucking toilet!"

Despite the threat of freezing water a laugh drifted down the hall.

* * *

The threesome boarded the soonest train, dressed up for the winter weather. They made small talk as the train trundled onto the shopping district. They exited slowly, hand in hand in hand to prevent being separated, and Rin and Haru's eyes widened at the sight of the shopping area. Makoto couldn't help but admire the fact that Haru's jackets fit Rin. He also adored the flush on the paler boys' faces, their tucked chins and wide eyes.

He laughed softly to himself and only opened his eyes again when Rin jabbed him in the shoulder and squawked "What's so funny?"

"You're so beautiful, you two."

Haru smiled and the expression made him at least twice as angelic. Rin flushed but accepted the praise with grudging good grace.

"So where to? D'you know, Mako?"

"Yeah, this way."

"How do you know?" Haru asked.

He chuckled. "I come here often with Mom for shopping. I always liked to stop and pet the animals, since I can't have one myself. It was the closest I could get." He beamed back at his wide-eyed boyfriends. "Now we have Akiha."

The switch from 'I' to 'we' didn't go unnoticed and the trailing pair smiled at each other. Rin edged closer to his boyfriend and muttered in Haru's ear, "Trust Mako to be a sap." Blue eyes twinkled pleased agreement.

His lovers followed him through the snowy sidewalks and side streets until they happened upon the bustling shop-street from a completely different angle than anywhere else. Glancing up and down the packed strip Rin realized that Makoto's winding detour had dropped them in the center without having to go through the crowds.

"Wow, Mako, good going."

The tall brunette laughed. "It's a good route to know. The pet store is this way."

The younger pair followed the orange hat over the crowd, safe in the knowledge that with his unusual height they could hardly lose their boyfriend.  
Green eyes caught theirs as they moved around a small throng of giggling schoolgirls and the beatific smile was heartwarming.

"In here," he murmured when they got close, a large hand resting on first Haru's waist then Rin's as he ushered them into the shop.

Both shuddered with hidden delight.

* * *

The pet shop was bustling with workers and animals and ecstatic children. Haru was wide-eyed, looking almost as thrilled about the pet shop as he was upon seeing water, and he wandered off immediately.

"Oi, Haru-!" Rin called after him but a hand wrapped around his wrist. He glanced back at Makoto and the brunette tilted his head with a smile.

"Let him look. He's very excited about this."

"So are you," Rin scoffed, gently tugging his hand away before anyone could see and be scandalized. "You're practically on cloud nine, Mako."

"I've always wanted a pet," the brunette admitted. "Akiha's been a dream come true for me. Rin..." And red met green and Rin didn't even need to  _see_  it in those emerald irises; he could  _feel_  how badly Makoto wished to kiss him as thanks. "...thank you for bringing her into our life."

Rin chuckled. "Yeah, yeah- what?"

Makoto had gone still and now lifted his gaze as he turned around. Rin followed his eyes and blinked- Haru, completely invisible to Makoto when he was facing Rin, was staring at them- then punched his boyfriend in the shoulder.

"Fuck that's creepy- he didn't even say anything! Stop that!"

But they headed over to Haru anyway.

"It's perfect," he said as they approached, holding the collar out to them.

It  _was_  perfect- sage green with the familiar design of The Great Wave sewn in- and a little silver bell hung from the front that tinkled merrily.

"I love it, Haru. Akiha will love it too, I'm sure."

Haru beamed at them- his version at least- a small smile that showcased an inner glow. "I'll go buy it."

"Haru, I said I'd-"

The black-haired teen shook his head firmly and went to the register.

"She's really important to him. This is just something he really wants to do himself."

"I get it." Rin muttered, watching Haru's subdued chatting with the cashier. "And I'm glad he's so enthusiastic. About, you know..."

"...something other than swimming." Makoto finished for him with a laugh. "Agreed. Now come on, let's go find some toys and buy her food."

Haru joined his boyfriends a few moments later, while Rin was bent over examining the label of a bag of kitten food. Makoto had ten cans of soft food, which Haru gave him a quizzical look for, and he simply said "It's best to buy quite a lot so we don't have to come back too soon."

Haru nodded and Rin stood, tucking a bag of kitten food under one arm.  
"Now toys!" The redhead grinned.

* * *

Forty-five minutes later, the low sun streaking the sky with red and purple, the threesome boarded a return train carrying a laden bag each. Makoto's held all the cans and packet of treats, Haru's the collar and at least a dozen toys (there had been so many options they'd all gotten something they thought she would like), and Rin's the dry food and a bottle of kitten-safe shampoo.  
 _"You never know," he'd grumbled._  
They'd eaten a quick, quiet meal because being unable to be themselves, be free about their relationship, was a constant drag and the less time spent being good boys and more time being affectionate the better. They'd stopped back into the pet store for the newly engraved collar which Haru had received with a bright-eyed look.  
On the quiet train trip home they made small talk, cautiously held hands, and watched Haru admire the collar he kept turning around and around.

"She'll love it, Haru." Makoto assured the black-haired boy.

"I know. I hope she will. I do."

Rin rolled his eyes and slouched in his seat. "We noticed."

* * *

Akiha was happy to see them. Ecstatic even, seeing as they could hear her cries halfway down the stairs to Haru's. It put a rush in their pace until Rin was laughing and running up them two at a time. Haru narrowed his eyes, Rin being ahead of him an automatic challenge, and sped up to match until they were even step for step. Makoto watched his lovers race up the stairs with a contented smile and was happy to take his time.  
Until he found them entangled at Haru's front door.  
Rin had pushed Haru into the wood and claimed his mouth and Haru was certainly not complaining, free hand under Rin's shirt.  
The brunette sighed good-naturedly and nudged them aside (Haru reached for him but he dodged away) and unearthed his keys to unlock the door.  
A white blur leapt for his face.  
Makoto yelled and backed up but not fast enough- Akiha climbed up his torso and headbutted his chin and purred all the while- and that broke his startled lovers apart.

"Mako- oh. It was Akiha?" Rin hummed, watching the brunette scratch under the kitten's chin.

"I guess she missed us."

Akiha clambered up to Makoto's shoulder and regarded the other two with predatory eyes. She wiggled her puff-tailed rump and leapt for them. Rin caught her, suffering a few pinprick scratches, and she nuzzled his chin and rubbed against his nose like she had Makoto previous.

"She missed us a lot," Rin muttered around a mouthful of cat fur, "and that's worrisome."

"It's okay." And Haru looked blindingly happy again. "She's attached to us so that's okay."

Ocean-colored eyes landed on her next love-attack target but before she could claw her way to the last of the trio Rin handed her over to Haru's waiting arms.  
Peeping and purring the kitten began kneading his jacket and happily nuzzling against the oldest's nose.

"It's getting cold, let's head in." Makoto coaxed his lovers into the house.

* * *

Akiha was unhappy about the collar around her neck for all of a few minutes before her myriad of toys were introduced and she looked about in wide-eyed wonder before pouncing on a feathery ball. A bunch of other toys were pounced on and mauled and batted before Rin remembered they'd gotten her food and cracked open a can. For a little thing the Bobtail ate voraciously- like Nagisa, Rin had joked in a deadpan tone- until sated. After a couple more rounds of wildly chasing toys and strutting between her owners with stubby tail wriggling for attention, she tackled Makoto and buried into his lap.  
With the brunette immobilized his lovers engaged in teasing- kissing and touching and overdone moans- until Rin's phone buzzed in his back pocket and the groan against Haruka's throat was very real.  
He opened it, clicked a few times, then hissed a sharp sigh and locked it again.

"What is it?"

"Time got away from us," Rin whispered, standing. "If I don't hurry I'm going to miss curfew and land my ass in hot water."

Haru's brows drew together and he looked depressed. Makoto sighed, disappointment clawing at his gut (and Akiha at his calf in her deep twitchy sleep), but mustered up a smile for the redhead.

"Well then. Good night, Rin."

Rin snorted darkly. His mood had just shot into the toilet. "I wish I could just live here." He growled. "I'd be a lot happier."

"We all would," Haru whispered.

Rin exhaled sharply and knelt, drawing Haru into a deep kiss that the black-haired boy didn't object to a bit, then came to Makoto for the same.

Makoto tried to pretend his heart didn't drop into his stomach when Rin waved farewell.

* * *

He missed them.  
The thoughts never struck him harder than when he was alone at Samezuka. Nitori's steady breathing served as a quiet backdrop to Rin's attempt at homework but he couldn't make himself think properly. His thoughts keep circling back to his lovers.  
He has no doubt they're together. If they aren't now they will be before the night is through. During the day he can push away the idea of them, what with classes and practice and Nitori always talking. Alone with nothing but the homework and the silence, he thinks.  
He missed them.  
To go from no interaction with anyone to falling in love hard with two people was a sudden change and his world was still shaken from it. Not that he truly minded. He wouldn't trade his lovers for anything. If the choice were the Olympics or his lovers he knew the answer would be the latter. He needed them like oxygen now.  
He glanced at his phone and worried his lip a little. He could always just text them...  
He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. No, it was late, and they're probably in bed. He couldn't be this needy, it was undignified.  
But... Looking at the phone made him think.  
There had only been three numbers in it all his time in Australia. His mother's, his sister's, and... Makoto's. And that last number had been on the receiving end of dozens, hundreds, maybe thousands of texts over the years.  
He never told Makoto about his troubles (never in detail at least) or about the race with Haru. It had eaten away at him and he had wanted to but he hadn't been comfortable telling Makoto such a thing about Haru. Even in Australia though- they were there even then; Haru pushing him to be better and Makoto firmly standing as his anchor regardless of their lack of physical presence. He had needed them as badly as he did now.  
He glanced at his cell again. And shook his head. And picked up his pencil.  
His phone buzzed before he put pencil to paper.  
Blinking, he grabbed it and checked the screen.

_'New text from Makoto.'_

_There's no way,_  he thought deliriously.  _No way could Mako have known._

But somehow, some way, against the conceivable laws of the universe, the text simply read  _'I love you. We love you. You think too much. Especially at this hour. Go to bed.'_

He had to muffle his laugh with his sleeve- though he wasn't quiet enough and he heard Nitori giggle and murmur "Kenji..." in his sleep- because they knew him far too well.

_'All right, all right. Good night. How's Akiha?'_

_'She misses you, I think. She's wandered around the house a few times meowing at nothing. Go to bed, Rinrin. Good night.'_

He closed his books and did as his lover(s) ordered.


	7. Of Advice and Histories

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A little background on the boys' relationship, taken from pieces I haven't yet finished. Mostly because I started them AFTER I started this...

Last of the multi-updates, sorry for the spam! But here! Here is the next chapter! Have some cute because the next chapter... Contains an atomic drama-bomb.

 **Chapter 7- Of Advice and Histories**  
The weekend was slow to arrive and the second it did, the bell ringing at the end of their class period, Makoto and Haruka were out the door.  
It was another practice at Samezuka- it had officially become too cold for them to hold practice in their own pool and they couldn't afford the passes to an indoor pool until the next month- so the older boys were even excited about swim practice if it meant Rin.

The redhead was waiting for them outside, hands shoved in his pockets, brooding.

"Rin!" Makoto called.

The redhead jumped and then bared his teeth in a viciously happy grin. He sauntered up to them, glanced around, and pulled them both into a tight hug.

"God I missed you."

The oldest Iwatobi members wrapped their arms around their boyfriend. Haru's gratified sigh was silent but the fan of his breath over Rin's neck gave him away.

"We missed you too, Rinrin."

The redhead reluctantly shrugged them off. "Can't stay too long; practice'll start soon and that means the team will be arriving."

"Understood."

Makoto nodded. "We'll be home together after this anyway. Akiha will love to see you again, she's missed you."

"Keeps meowing in the middle of the night," Haru agreed as Rin opened the doors to the pool with confidence.

"I miss everything about home." Rin whispered. "Just have to concentrate on swimming and go home, right?"

Haru's response was a noncommittal noise and Makoto's a pleased hum.

* * *

Mikoshiba set Rin against Rei on one side and Yukimura on the other. The fiery redhead blew his whistle sharply and they dove. Rin could hear every breath he and Rei gasped out, felt the ripples from the lanes at his sides, and a familiar thrill raced up his spine.  
He loved racing.  
It wasn't a race, he knew, but his competitive spirit flared up and he had to push himself.  
It pleased him that Rei responded in kind. The younger boy was certainly improving. His speed boost set him only slightly behind the redhead and Rin's will to fight kicked in. He made the turn and pushed off powerfully, now ahead of Rei by a good margin. Yukimura was just hitting the turn. Rin looked up, at the end of the lane, and saw Haru, Makoto, even Nitori waiting at the end. Nagisa was hopping gleefully up and down and shouting Rei's name.  
They both had a reason to get back to the finish first.  
Rin's just happened to be more.  
He smacked into the wall, gasping for breath, as Mikoshiba called out his time (about two seconds shorter than his last record). He ripped off his cap and goggles to the sound of Makoto's gorgeous laugh.

"That was wonderful, Rin."

"That was amazing, Matsuoka-senpai!" Nitori cheered. Haruka was nowhere to be found as Makoto pulled him out of the pool and Rin remembered Rei and that fantastic race they'd just run.

Haru and Nagisa were pulling the blue-haired boy out of the pool- the black-haired teen with quiet praise and the blonde with effusive congratulations- and Rin grinned.

"Rei, that was an incredible run!" He called as he padded over. "You've definitely improved since our last practice!"

The boy blushed, attempted to fix his missing glasses, and blushed redder. "Y-yes! Your tips helped me improve my time greatly!"

Rin smirked. "That's good then."

"Nitori, Nanase, Kawamura! Get ready!"

Haru sighed as he left and practice continued normally from there; Haru soundly beat anyone who tried. Makoto shut down his competition. Nagisa lost out to one person by only a half-second. Gou, to his disgust, was sitting on the bench next to Mikoshiba and when the Captain wasn't in Captain-mode surveying his team golden eyes would light up at every word from Iwatobi's manager. Rin scowled at the sight and only relaxed at the 'accidental' brush of Makoto's fingers across the small of his back.

 _My sister is a grown woman,_  he reminded himself.  _She can take care of herself and Mikoshiba knows that I will CASTRATE HIM WITH A RUSTY HACKSAW if he makes her upset. I need to calm down._  
Mikoshiba's blowing the whistle suddenly and Rin almost thanked any and all deities for the end of practice.

The Iwatobi team courteously lets their host team shower first, every time, so Rin sat with Makoto at the edge of the pool, feet dangling in the water, watching Haruka effortlessly arc and spin and float while Nagisa and Rei chatter about random things above their heads. Rin was in the midst of a belly-laugh over Nagisa's description of 'Detective Rei-chan' at the festival- he didn't care anymore about them trying to play keep away; if he  _had_ seen Haru it probably would have ended in a quickie somewhere secluded- when Nitori came out of the locker room behind Sugimura and waved.

"Rin-senpai! The team is done!"

The redhead leaned around Makoto and nodded. "Thanks, Ai! See you Monday!"

Sugimura laughed shyly and prodded Nitori in the shoulder as they headed for the dorms. "He calls you Ai?"

The silver-haired boy shrugged and a faint pink dusted his cheeks. "S-sometimes. It just means I'm his friend-"

Rin got up and stretched, completely disregarding the conversation, but Haru's eyes narrowed at the passing first-years.

"Haru, Mako, let's get washed up and go home." The redhead sighed, beckoning for the pair to follow.

* * *

Rin woke up the next morning because, of all things, the ear not pressed to his pillow was uncomfortably hot.

_What the hell?_

He reached up, hand stiff and clumsy, and felt the obstruction on his- oh. His fingers rubbed against soft fur. Akiha. Akiha was curled up on his head.  
The kitten didn't stir and he decided to leave her alone. He didn't mind being the only one awake. Besides, she was content and so was he. This gave him plenty of time to examine and admire his bedmates. Makoto's arm wrapped around Haruka made for a startling contrast between skin tones. The brunette was more tan against the black-haired boy's paler skin and Rin couldn't help but admire their differences when he reached out and held his hand up in front of them to compare. He fit somewhere oddly in the middle. Makoto murmured something and a glimmering emerald eye peered over Haru's shoulder and the arm the oldest was using as his pillow shifted. Rin was happy to take hold of the hand proffered and he closed his eyes.  
Not a second too soon, because the weight on his head twitched and stretched out, small paws sticking out over his head. Suddenly Makoto was laughing, laughing hard enough to wake Haru, and Rin scowled.

"Hey, I didn't put her up there!"

Haru grumbled and smacked Rin's chest. "Stop. I'm tired."

"Why did you hit me?! Mako's the one laughing his ass off!"

"You're easier to hit and you'll return the favor later if I forget."

"Geez, Haru, cheap-shit much?"

"Lazy," Haru corrected. Then he got a good look at their kitten and started to chuckle himself.

Confused by all the noise Akiha slid out of the nest she'd made out of red hair and stretched her leisurely way across the space between them on the mattress to headbutt Haru's chin with an overbearing purr. Still chuckling Haru scratched under her chin then down her back until her tiny poofy tail was sticking straight upright. A second later she turned her head into the mattress and rolled over, begging for belly rubs and scratches, pawing at the hands doing it regardless.

Makoto was the first to give up and roll out of bed.

Rin watched greedily as those powerful muscles flexed under his skin. With a quiet chuckle Makoto put on a show for his lover (Rin will never ever  _ever_  admit to it but he  _does_  have a teeny, tiny thing for muscles; part of the reason he figured out he  _had_  to be gay was the way he admired the male swimmers in Australia), stretching like he would before a race and red eyes went wide.

"...Mako if you don't take your shower I'm going to pull you back into this bed and do something I won't regret a bit."

The brunette barked a laugh but headed for the bathroom with a farewell pet to Akiha.

Well it was supposed to be a farewell.

She scrambled off the bed and past the hands that tried to snatch her and followed the taller boy into the bathroom.

Rin snorted and slid out between the sheets. "Ugh, I'd better head out for my run then. Careful of the cat."

Haru was shortly left alone in the bedroom in the too-big bed and he heaved a sigh. They were here, he knew; here in the house with him. But still if he couldn't touch them, see them, smell the chlorine and green curry and spice of them, his chest would ache for his boyfriends.

"Haru?"

He blinked and glanced at the doorway, where Makoto leaned against the wood with a towel draped over his shoulders and wearing a pair of sweatpants Haru  _knew_  were his and that sweetly familiar orange-and-yellow shirt.

"Tub's open."

Haru sighed and just turned his bland gaze to the ceiling.

A soft laugh drifted from Makoto and the brunette purred, "Are you really going to need help getting out of both the tub and our bed?"

"No," Haru grudgingly admitted.

"I'll get breakfast started, Haru-chan."

* * *

Later in the day, past their comfortable breakfast and leisurely housework activities, a timid knock sounded at the door.  
Rin was still staring in shock two minutes after opening the door.

"Nitori?" The redhead repeated, blinking in surprise at his underclassman.

The silver-haired boy nodded and wrung the shoulder strap of his bookbag- still carried even though it was the weekend- and hesitantly asked "C-can I ask you something, Matsuoka-senpai?"

Rin quirked an eyebrow at the more formal title. "Yeah, sure, and if we aren't in school feel free to call me by my first name."

"Rin, who is- oh! Nitori-kun."

The pair in the entryway glanced over at the brunette, who simply smiled at them. "It's been a while, Nitori-kun. You know you're welcome to come over, right?"

The silver-haired boy nodded enthusiastically but his smile wavered slightly. "Th-thank you very much, Tachibana-senpai! I'll remember that! But, um, I just had a question for Mats- erm, for Rin... senpai."

Rin rolled his eyes- still with the honorifics, geez, would he ever get through to the kid?- but snorted. "Sure, shoot."

Haruka appeared behind Makoto, blinked at Nitori, and then looked to his boyfriend for clarification. Makoto just shrugged.  
Nitori almost lost his nerve at the sight of his upperclassman's lovers but then clenched his fists on the bag strap. He leaned in and whispered,

"H-how do you know when you're in love?"

Rin reared back, blinking rapidly, and before Nitori could look mortified the redhead broke into a wide smirk.  
"Well well. I'm glad, Ai. Here," Rin shoved the door open a little wider, "come in and we'll discuss it."

"Ah! Er! W-what about..?" The silver-haired boy glanced nervously from under his bangs at the other pair. "What about Nanase-senpai and Tachibana-senpai?"

"Ai, who better to learn from than three people who  _all_  love each other? I'm sure they've got different opinions too. Best to get as many sides to the story as we can, right?"

"O-oh, I didn't think of it like that..."

"One more thing. A condition, if you're coming in. Their names are Makoto and Haru, Ai, and I'm Rin. Got it?"

The youngest blushed and nodded. "Got it!"

* * *

Makoto made tea and Haru started grilling something- Nitori didn't know what it was but it smelled like fish and made Rin's eyes roll- while Rin took a seat across from the silver-haired boy. Just looking around Nitori couldn't help but marvel at how at home he felt just a few minutes after being ushered in. Tachibana-senpai was very kind, and though Nanase-senpai was quiet it was a comfortable kind of quiet.

"So what is this question, Nitori?"

The boy squirmed and considered telling Tachibana-senpai to call him by his first name too but he decided that Nitori was the safer way to go for now.

"Um! Well I... I've been spending a lot of time with a classmate of mine lately. And I really enjoy spending time with Kenji-kun, so- oh!" He blushed and stared hard at his tea cup. "I-I wasn't supposed to say... I'm sorry!"

"Sugimura-kun, right?" Nanase-senpai said matter-of-factly as he came in with four evenly divided portions of fish on plates for them. He set the tray in the center of the table. Rin-senpai sighed at the sight of his lunch but Tachibana-senpai laughed.

Nitori was too busy gaping at the black-haired boy to regard his food. "H-h-how did you know?"

"You were together at the end of practice yesterday and it seemed you were leaving with him. Also, you've been distracted lately at meets and texting someone constantly." Nanase-senpai explained as he took a seat to the side of his boyfriends so that as Nitori looked at them it was Nanase-senpai on his right, Rin-senpai right in front of him, and Tachibana-senpai to his left. The younger teen got the feeling they were only that far apart for his sake, but he wasn't sure he should tell them not to do so for his sake or thank them for their courtesy, so he said nothing.

"So..?" Rin drawled eventually. "Sugimura-kun..?"

"Oh! Right! Umm... I just... I was wondering if what I'm feeling is right. So I thought I would ask you about your relationship with Nanase-senpai and Tachibana-senpai. Since it's either you or the Captain... But Mikoshiba-buchou is... Well..."

Rin-senpai snorted. "I get that."

"I- I was going to say he's just gotten into a relationship with- er- and he may not be as knowledgable as you, Rin-senpai."

"Ai." The redhead said quietly.

"Y-yes! Er, yes?"

Rin-senpai leaned forward, lip lifted in a half-snarl and eyebrow lifted. "What did I say about names?"

Nitori felt an embarrassed flush creep up his neck. "Oh! R-right, I'm so sorry, Rin-senp- urk! Rin. Sorry, Rin."

The redhead laughed and rested again. "So what is it exactly you want to hear us say?"

"I just, um, was thinking: what was it like when you and Nan- Haru started dating? How did you... How did you feel?"

Rin lifted an eyebrow again and sat back, looking actually thoughtful for a moment, and breathed a heavy sigh through his nose. The threesome's kitten wandered away from Nanase-senpai and curled up in the redhead's lap so he started idly petting her.

"Haru and I were in a relationship starting after prefecturals." He admitted. "You remember the messages." Nitori nodded; Nanase-senpai had been severely depressed by Rin-senpai beating him at the meet, as far as Nitori knew. "But it wasn't... wasn't healthy. We were essentially parasites. Just there for competition and, well, to be blunt, for the sex. We didn't really get into a more natural relationship until after regionals once I was finally able to move on."

He got a lifted eyebrow from both lovers and rolled his eyes. "Okay, okay, when I stopped being a dick."

"Thank you." The pair chorused.

"But what about Ta- Makoto?"

Rin sighed and glanced at the brunette, rewarded by a soft smile. "...well, Mako and I... There was an... an incident when we were children. I've always been close to him because of that. And when Haru said he wanted to include him in our relationship, I was... admittedly excited about the prospect. Not that I don't love Haru, and that I didn't love him just as much then as I do now, but something was missing and we both knew it. I was vaguely aware then that I thought Makoto and Haruka were both things I needed. I thought that all the time I was in Australia, really. Even if he wasn't there physically Haru was my motivation, my goal. Makoto I kept in touch with, because, well, he was always so easy to talk to. If I didn't have both of them, I wouldn't be here now."

Nitori stared, wide-eyed, at his roommate. These kinds of feelings and emotions were things he'd never imagined seeing so easily out of the surly redhead. But then again in the last few months- since the relay and starting his relationships with first Nanase-senpai then Tachibana-senpai- his harsh edges had been dulled and then polished. Though Nitori didn't know it, Rin was much more like he was as a child; brighter, happier, relaxed.

"Matsu- oh! Rin..."

"Yeah, they say I'm a helpless romantic." The older boy chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. "But it's true. I'd give up everything but them. Well..." And he glanced down at the small warmth in his lap. "Okay, maybe the cat would come first..."

Makoto laughed and shoved the redhead's shoulder. "First mackerel and now I lose out to a cat! I can't win."

"Umm, so, Tach- Makoto."

The silver-haired youth got a gentle smile for the use of the first name and he beamed, proud of (mostly) remembering.

"What about you? When did you know you loved Na- Haru and Rin?"

"Call me sentimental," Makoto said with a quiet chuckle, "but I think I've always been in love with them."

Red and azure eyes widened, staring at their boyfriend, and his returned grin was both embarrassed and apologetic. "I can't imagine a life without you two. Haru's always been by my side, and once Rin came into the picture he was included. I honestly don't know how I would function if the two of you were to leave me."

"Mako..." Rin reached across the space between them and took Makoto's hand. The brunette leaned forward and so did his boyfriend, foreheads touching, and Rin huffed a laugh.

"You two are part of me now."

"Rin  _made_  me love him." Haru said bluntly.

"Hey!" Rin snapped, whipping a glare at the black-haired boy.

"You did." Haru affirmed. "When you first transferred I was determined to not like you and you were just as determined to get me to agree with your relay."

"Yeah but I didn't  _seduce_  you-"

"But you did."

Both his lovers blinked at him. "Huh?" Rin asked.

"A sight I'd never seen before." The black-haired boy stated, and it seemed to carry a meaning the threesome all understood. "Then you came back and I wanted to see it again, was so happy to see you, and you left me feeling like I'd broken your heart. So I turned to Makoto, because Makoto was all I had left."

They were all staring at the oldest now- Nanase Haruka had never spoken so much at one time- as Makoto and Rin listened with shocked expressions because they knew this was about as close to a true confession as they'd ever get.

"I've always... I've always relied on Makoto. It didn't turn into love until I realized that Rin and I being together was tearing him apart... because he was jealous. So I made a plan. I wanted us to all be together. Nothing was right if we were separated. We belong together. I think I always knew that. I got Rin to enact it, and Makoto told him that he did love us both, and after spending a day together at this table-"

" _Haru_!"

"Haru,  _no!_ "

A teasing, mischievous twinkle flickered through sapphire eyes. "-Makoto agreed to try and it ended up, all these months later, like this."

"B-but you've all... been in love so long. What about falling in love with someone n-new?" Nitori stammered uneasily.

"Can't help you there," the redhead admitted quietly.

"Nagisa and Rei may be able to help you with that." Makoto added after a second's thought. "Their relationship is pretty new."

Nitori squawked and waved his hands wildly. "Nonono! I can't ask Nagisa-kun! He'd torment me or try to help! And I don't know which is worse!"

The threesome pondered that a moment and then nodded simultaneously.

"Good job, Ai, you've already learned the dangers of Hazuki Nagisa." Rin drawled.

Nitori flushed. "Y-yes, when I mentioned I l-liked someone he tried to get me to go clothes shopping, but... They don't have good taste..."

Rin guffawed and hurried to smack a hand over his mouth. Makoto regarded his restrained mirth with a look of motherly disappointment before turning back to the fidgeting silver-haired boy.

"So," he said gently. "What  _do_  you feel when you're around Kenji-kun? Love's a distinct enough emotion."

"And sexual tension is different from it."

The Samezuka student yelped and buried his face in his hands. Rin, who had almost managed to stop, began to laugh harder again. Makoto gave Haru a measured stare and simply said "Haru..." in a disappointed tone.

"Oh my god, Haru, I love you so much." Rin wheezed.

"You only told me that because you were mad about how often I begged to have s-"

"Haru!" Makoto chided a little more forcefully. "...but, I guess it is a legitimate question... considering that Rin and Haru-chan's relationship started as not much more than that. Do you maybe really just want to have sex with Kenji-kun?"

It was somehow impossible to be mad or upset about those kinds of questions when Makoto said them.

"N-no!" Burning brilliant red Nitori amended, "Well I wouldn't  _mind_... But that's not the main reason I like him or anything!" The silver-haired boy's eyes were distant as he continued. "He always cheers me up and makes me laugh, and we text each other all the time, and I'm always so excited to see him..."

Rin smirked without an edge. "Sure sounds like you have it bad."

Makoto laughed softly. "Does sound like love... or at least a crush. But please, be more specific? What  _exactly_  do you feel around him?"

"L-like I get queasy... Butterflies."

"Natural. Happens to me all the time. Mako's good at it." The brunette shoved the redhead's shoulder.

"A-and I feel really warm around him all the time..."

"Inner warm or outer warm?" Haruka interjected.

"I-inner. I guess. In my chest. Does that matter..?"

Rin snorted. "If it was outer- well, or anywhere else- we'd be explaining something entirely different to you, Ai."

Nitori squeaked and his friends all laughed.

A sleepy-eyed kitten poked her head over the edge of the table, blinking slowly, and then she sniffed a few times.

"Hello, Akiha! It's just me again- Aiichirou!"

The kitten gave the silver-haired boy an odd look and locked onto the uneaten mackerel on the table. In a heartbeat the kitten leapt onto the table and made a beeline for Rin's plate.

"Whoa whoa whoa, glutton!" Rin yelled, snatching her mid-run. "You can have the leftovers, geez! Speaking of, we had better eat before it gets  _too_  cold and Mako and I get the 'wasting mackerel' speech again. And trust me, Ai-" the redhead pointed at his roommate with his chopsticks- "You do  _not_  want to hear that speech. Once a month is more than enough."

Nitori giggled.

* * *

By the time they had eaten and spoken more about dating and crushes Nitori was so excited he practically bolted out of Haru's door later, all wild anticipation. He waved as he ran, framed by the late twilight sun.

"Thank you, Rin-senpai! Haruka-senpai and Makoto-senpai! I'll come back sometime! With Kenji!"

"Oh,  _Kenji_  gets to be on a first name basis..." Rin muttered playfully.

Makoto just smiled. "He's a good kid. He'll definitely make someone happy."

"I'm glad he's got someone else to fixate on," Rin sighed, ruffling his own hair agitatedly. "I like him and all, but sometimes he was seriously overbearing. Luckily Sugimura will just suck up all that attention- they're like two peas in a pod."

"You care a lot more than I thought." Haru muttered with a sidelong glance.

"Don't be jealous, Haru-chan," Rin crooned. He threw an arm around his lovers' shoulders and smirked. "I'll only ever love you two."

* * *

Rin got a text late that night, as they lazed about and watched old movies on television and let Akiha run roughshod all over them.  
He opened it and laughed, holding it up so his pair of body pillows could see it. A hand came up from the jumble of lazy limbs that was Makoto and Haru and pulled the phone down.  
It was Makoto who laughed and then Rin's hand was pulled in the other direction so Haru could see.

It was a picture captioned  _'He said yes!'_  and followed by hearts. Then  _'Thank you so much Rin, Haru, Makoto!'_

Nitori had been grinning ear to ear as he took the picture, and a kid with dark brown hair and bright golden eyes was kissing his cheek.

"I'm glad." Makoto hummed, trailing a hand up the redhead's side.

A mumble of agreement vibrated through Haru.

Rin just smiled and texted their combined congratulations.

* * *

You know, to be honest, Nitori started out bugging me. Always at Rin's side and everything was 'Matsuoka-senpai!' and it was annoying! But with this, he came into his own and I started really liking him. So he kinda got his own chapter, since I wanted to get his cute little side story out~


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And just as suddenly, everything goes wrong and Haruka doesn't know what to do.

All I can say is... prepare your feels.

****Chapter 8- Of Hysteria and Sicknesses  
She was prowling the house, ears flicking back, forth, and around. Akiha could hear the water running and she knew what it meant. She found her target in the kitchen: the quiet tall fish-smell creature was at the sink- water, yes, water!- and a few seconds later the kitten was scrabbling for purchase on the cabinets, determined to make it to the water. She tried to pull herself up and even offered up a few miserable meows, but the black-haired boy ignored her.  
Akiha fell to the floor, wriggled about on her back, and finally found her paws.  
There was only one way up left that she could see. Gathering strength in her muscles she wiggled her rear and crouched.

* * *

Haruka yelped aloud as twenty needle-sharp hooks sunk into his thigh. The plate in his hands clattered noisily back into the sink and he made a frenzied grab for the kitten hanging onto him with grim determination.

"Akiha!" He squawked but for the life of him he couldn't pry her claws out of his leg. "Let go!"

Aquamarine eyes were trained on the sink and she yanked one paw free only to reach up for another purchase. The black-haired boy managed to prize her off once she did though and he sighed, plopping her next to the tap.

Content, the kitten began to swipe excitedly at the running water.

"Haru?"

Blue eyes flickered back and met anxious green.

"What happened?" Makoto asked.

"Akiha likes water," Haru deadpanned, gesturing at the little beast where she sat on the rim of the sink. "And she climbs to get to it. People included."

"Niiiice," Rin snorted as he sauntered into the kitchen. "D'you want help with those then?"

"I was almost done. She's distracted now anyway."

Too distracted, the threesome realized a second later when their kitten attempted to tackle the tap water and tumbled into the basin. Water splashed all down Haru's front (he could've looked much more upset than he did) and Rin burst into laughter, doubling over wheezing when their baby's tiny head broke the surface covered in suds. Makoto rushed forward and turned the faucet to cooler temperatures and washed her off, but she didn't seem offended at all. In fact she mewed musically, squirming, and with a defeated sigh Makoto dumped her into the sink and let her go wild in the stream from the faucet.

"Oh my god I think she's worse than Haru!" Rin giggled.

"You've been saying that for weeks!" Makoto shot back.

"I've never seen  _him_  dive-bomb a faucet!"

"...I have to agree, I think we finally found someone who can out-water Haru."

Haru looked affronted.

* * *

Makoto and Haru and Akiha share the bath that night as Rin heads straight to bed, having just come out of the shower when Akiha leapt into the sink. The redhead was drifting among dreams when his lovers and their blow-dried kitten joined him.

He knew by breathing, by the depth of the dip in the mattress, by fingertips roaming his skin which lover is which and he doesn't bother to open his eyes and confirm.

As expected Makoto kissed the back of his neck and wrapped an arm around him. Haru curled up close, one arm carefully bridging his lovers. A small fuzzy space heater had also crawled into bed with them, Rin thought muzzily, and he cracked an eye open to see Akiha all balled up in the crook of Haru's other arm, cradled between the redhead and the black-haired boy. Sighing contently he twined his own arm around the kitten and let himself fall again.

* * *

Rin only woke up when he realized something was wrong. He groaned and grabbed the nearest pillow and jammed it down over his head.

"What is that  _chime_." He snarled.

"Makoto's phone."

"Turn it  _off_."

Slowly, comprehension dawned on him- it was Haru's pillow he had grabbed which meant Haru was no longer in the bed. And with no comforting warmth braced along his spine... Makoto was gone too.

"What's going on?" Rin slurred.

"My aunt is having her baby today, I guess. A week early. Mom wants us to go and support her because Aunt Suzuka's husband is in Tokyo on a business trip and won't be back for a few hours." The brunette mumbled from somewhere in the room and grudgingly Rin took away the pillow (wincing at the stab of sunlight into his retinas) and searched out his lovers.

Makoto was struggling with a shirt to Rin's amusement- "Haru, that's mine." and "I know. I like it when he smells like you or me." and a whine of "Haruuu! Mom and Dad are waiting, I need one of my  _own_  shirts!"- while Haru thrust out a hoodie and waited for Makoto to untangle himself. Rin watched his lovers with bleary eyes until Makoto (properly dressed) came to the side of the bed, grabbed Rin's shoulder, rolled the redhead onto his back, and kissed him a thorough good morning and goodbye.

He did the same to Haru (who tamped down a quiet moan) and hurried out the door.

Rin sighed, resigned to being awake, and sat up. Haru was still staring at the door with a wistful expression.

"Where's Akiha?" He mumbled.

Haru finally looked away, blinking at the redhead. "Still in the tub. Makoto drained all but an inch out so she's splashing around in it."

"Oh," the younger teen said. He ran a hand through his hair and stretched. "Any idea when he'll come home?"

"How long does it take to have a baby?" Haru shot back with an edge of snark.

"Depends." Rin replied without heeding his boyfriend's shallow mood. "I only took four hours of labor; Gou took almost eighteen."

That made Haruka look at him in pure despair. "We might not see him for-"

"Calm down," Rin hummed as he slid out of bed. "He can probably come home once his uncle comes back, so a few hours, no more."

Haru caught his wrist as he walked past and Rin came to a stop, fingers slotting together, and Haru dropped his head onto the redhead's shoulder.

"But that's how long you'll be gone at school."

Rin turned and wrapped his free arm around his lover. "You'll be okay for a few hours, Haru- you'll spend half of it in the tub with the cat anyway. It's just an exam and practice; we'll both be home before you know it."

A frown twisted at Haru's lips and Rin laughed softly, tilting the older boy's head up and kissing him.  
"I don't like being alone anymore," the black-haired boy whispered, fisting his free hand in Rin's undershirt. "I hate it."

"It's not a good feeling," Rin agreed, a dark flash in his eyes making it clear he was thinking of Australia, "but you're not stuck with being alone. We'll come back home, you know."

Haru nodded and released his lover. "Go shower, I'll make you something to eat really quick. Not mackerel."

The redhead had to admit he found the pout adorable. "Mackerel is fine too, you know."

* * *

Despite that, Rin came down the stairs to the pleasant aroma of a thick miso soup, topped with two large cuts of beef, that made his mouth water.

"You spoil me," he purred and kissed the black-haired boy again. Haru pushed him away, flushed slightly, but there was a hint of a smile on his lips.

"Eat before it's cold," he stated simply.

Haru sat at Rin's side with his own bowl and they talked and fed each other with quiet laughs and shared kisses until Rin's phone beeped.

That kiss was the last before Rin walked out the door.

* * *

Haru sprawled out on the couch, bored nearly senseless, and waited for his lovers. Akiha had stopped wanting to play an hour ago and hadn't moved since. The black-haired boy sighed and rolled over, inhaling the scent of the couch.

It was Rin's. The redhead had brought it over from his room at his house once he'd gotten truly irritated by Haru's lack of a sofa and since he was never at home anymore, moving it made more sense. Rin loved to laze about on it so it always smelled of his boyfriend.  
It was comfortable, Haru had to admit, and quite soft and squishy and-

What was that noise?

An odd wet hacking noise, repeated over and over.

The black-haired boy sat up, rubbed his eyes, and looked around.

Akiha was convulsing, throat spasming and body heaving, and finally she threw up.

Alarm shot through the swimmer and he dove off the sofa, hands hovering nervously over the kitten, unsure of what to do.

"Akiha?" He touched her and she backed away across the rug and started hacking again.

"Akiha?" He yelped, very concerned now. "What's wrong? Did you eat something bad?"

She spat up another trail of cat food and this time when he put his hands on her she just went limp.

Terror shot through Haru.

_Makoto, Makoto will know._

He laid her on the couch and shot up the stairs, frantically searching for his phone. Once he found it, noticing the tremor in his hands, he rang the first number on his speed dial and rushed back down the stairs.

Akiha was in the corner of the room with another pile of vomit.

_Four rings, why the hell hasn't Makoto picked up?_

His voicemail did, and with no other options Haru left a shaky message.

He started to call Rin only to notice the time- Rin was doubtless already in practice, his phone in his locker, unanswerable.

He typed out a text to his boyfriends and searched out the kitten.

She was lying lifeless on the floor and Haruka's stomach plummeted to his feet.

"Akiha?" He called, heart in his throat. "Akiha, are you all right?" He fell to his knees at her side. He picked her up- she wilted in his hands like a rag doll- and his eyes welled up with tears. Terror and panic gripped him.

"Please please, don't do this..!" He whispered, cradling the limp kitten close. "Please no!"

Haru stumbled to his feet and looked around wildly. Shivering, she was shivering, she was cold, he needed something to keep her warm-  
His eyes landed finally on his Iwatobi jacket and he lunged for it, wrapping the sick kitten in the coat. He checked his phone again, anxiously, and it was only when he realized he couldn't read the characters of the message he'd written to Makoto that he realized he was shaking too and the tears were blurring his eyesight.

For the first time he truly understood Makoto's childhood terror. Understood how Makoto must've felt as the brunette tried to wake him up and failed.

"Oh god don't die!" He whispered into the small kitten's fur. "Please don't die... Please..."

Vet, he needed a vet. There was one ten minutes away by train, they'd just made arrangements to get her checked out fully in three days-

He ran out of the house clutching the tiny trembling body to his chest.

* * *

He couldn't stop shaking the whole train ride, hugging Akiha to his chest, unsure how he could stop her shivering if he couldn't stop his own. The few people in his car had quickly migrated upon seeing him. With his hair in disarray, clutching a bundled up jacket, tears streaming down his face and gasping for breath, he couldn't blame them: he probably did look crazed.

Haru didn't care if he was rude when he shouldered past the other riders on his way out of the station and left a dozen complaints in his wake.

"Don't die don't die  _please_  don't die," he panted as he ran.

She'd stopped shaking but he was too terrified to check and see if she was still alive.

The panicked teen took the winding stone staircase two, sometimes three steps at a time, glad he had started to train himself by jogging with Rin some time ago.

A pale flickering hope ignited in his chest when he saw the vet's building. He threw himself into the door, slamming it into the wall, and barely managed to stop himself from careening into the counter.

The whole staff regarded him with utter shock but he ignored their incredulous looks and carefully set his burden on the counter.

"Please!" He gasped. "Please help her!" He bent double, chest heaving, and finished "Please..!"

The nurse recovered and unwrapped his school jacket, a soft inhale escaping her at the sight of the kitten.

Haru forced himself to look up and his knees almost gave out when he spotted the weak rise and fall of Akiha's chest.

"Please," he sobbed. "Please do something!"

"Oh dear. Yuka, here, take her back and check her vitals."

Akiha changed hands and Haru watched her go with a heart breaking to pieces in his chest. He wiped his nose, tears welling up again, and turned his gaze back to the receptionist. "Is she going to be okay?"

"We'll see, sweetie, now come with me and let's get some information about your kitten..."

He followed her into the back and she led him to a small office. From the room he could see an exam room where people were listening to the Bobtail's heart and breathing. One of them pulled out the thermometer and turned to another nurse, who nodded and scurried off.

"Sir? Can I get her name?" Haru jolted and focused on the kindly technician, who smiled gently at him, fingers on the keyboard.

"A-Aki- Akiha." He croaked.

_God_ , he had to hold himself together. For her sake if not his own.

"W-we have an appointment for Tuesday." He choked. "Five o'clock."

The tech beamed at him. "Oh! Well I can just look you up in the system then."

"I-it might be under the name Tachibana Makoto." He admitted, eyes straying again to the tiny unmoving kitten just down the hall. A woman in a white coat was leaning over Akiha now, fingers kneading her abdomen and saying something to the technicians.

"Or maybe Matsuoka Rin," he added, heart in his throat.

"Ah, I have a Nanase Haruka listed under her name for an appointment Tuesday at five."

Haru's head whipped back around, eyes wide.  _Under my name?_

"I-I'm Nanase Haruka."

She smiled at him. "Well all right then! Nanase-san, please head out to the waiting room and someone will be with you about Akiha-chan shortly!"

"Can I... Can I not..?" He made a half-hearted gesture at the exam room containing his kitten.

"No, sweetie, it's best not to disturb their work."

_How,_  Haru thought weakly.  _How could someone act so happy when a piece of my world is crumbling to dust right before my eyes?_

She left him with a chipper farewell and a promise to update him on Akiha's condition soon.

Haru knew, with one-hundred percent certainty, that he was about to break down into tears again, and he couldn't bear to do that in a waiting room full of people.

He slipped out the door and his back hit the wall hard. He slid down the brick, arms wrapped around his knees, and tried not to cry.

* * *

After a few minutes of harsh sobbing he forced himself to calm down. Breathing hard, raggedly, he tried to think.  
His thoughts, however, kept circling around two things; his boyfriends and the deathly still form of his kitten on the cold metal table.  
On autopilot his hand slipped into his pants pockets and found his phone. He pulled it free and opened it, fighting down the lump at his throat at the lack of calls. He needed his lovers, he did, he needed them in the worst way. He couldn't deal with this alone. Fingers trembling he dialed Makoto's number again.

This time it went straight to voicemail and Haru had never felt so betrayed and abandoned as he did in that second. Makoto had heard that last message and  _shut off his phone_?

It didn't matter after a moment. His heart hurt and he needed to talk, needed to let it out.

His speech was stilted, broken and interrupted by pain and miniature sobs.

"Makoto, please. Please pick up. I need you to come home, something has- something's happened to Akiha, she's bad, she's- I need you, Makoto, I-"

His phone beeped- the message's allotted length had been reached- and he ended the call, dialing Rin next regardless of whether it would be picked up.

He couldn't do this alone.

He left a similar message on Rin's cell, and then texted them both again, just in case.

And he waited, spent five minutes outside that building with his heart a torn mess, and made a decision.

_'Nagisa, can you come to the veterinarian office? It's maybe fifteen minutes from where you live. Something's happened to Akiha.'_

He admired how well the text sounded. It didn't make him seem like the screen had blurred through his tears, like he was choking back sobs, like his breathing was choppy.

The reply was near instantaneous.  _'Haru-chan r u ok?! Rei n I will b there in 10!'_

Haruka didn't reply to it, judging that conversation done.

He sat and wrapped his arms around himself and tried to hold it together and not shake apart.

"I'm not okay." He whimpered.

* * *

(Better hurry to next chapter!)


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emotional reinforcements arrive and the team reunites as a team.
> 
> (If the formatting is spotty send me a message, I'm just trying to update these fast with not a whole lot of time on my hands)

Second chapter updated today; one previous, one more.

* * *

 

**Chapter 9- Of Comfort and Fears**

Gou had been up and running the second she'd finished reading the text from Nagisa. It was bad enough that something happened to Akiha, but for Haruka-nii-chan to be the only one there... She knew he had to be a mess. She was fighting back tears on her way to the train station.  _Sweet little Akiha... I have to get Onii-chan! Maybe Haruka-nii-chan couldn't get a hold of my brother because of swim practice,_  she thought grimly as she took hold of the overhead strap.  _But I can._

* * *

The double doors slammed open, startling half the swim team, and Seijuurou's eyebrows shot up at the sight of his girlfriend, hunched over panting.

"Kou! What the hell is the matter?!" The tall male shouted, clipboard and stopwatch and team forgotten.

The redheaded girl didn't answer him, instead cupping her hands around her mouth and shrieking " _ONII-CHAAAN!_ "

The shout knifed into Rin's concentration, halfway across the pool, and he faltered midstroke, inhaling water instead of air. He hacked and stood, shaking his head as he pulled his goggles up and looked around.

Seeing his sister next to a distraught Mikoshiba his brow furrowed for a moment before Gou yelled "Something's wrong with Aki-chan! Haruka-senpai took her to the vet! He needs you, Onii-chan!"

In that moment, Rin's heart stopped cold. His stomach abruptly felt heavy, like it was filled with rocks, weighed down and uncomfortable. His eyes widened, terrified, and it was only when his lungs screamed at him that he remembered to breath.

_Oh god no._

In that moment, Rin didn't care about the odd looks he was receiving or about the fact that his team was probably thinking weird things about himself and Nanase.

Haru needed him. Akiha needed him.

He made record time to the edge of the pool and hauled his body out without thinking, mind spinning as he dashed around the pool into the locker room and snatched his jacket, sweatpants, and sneakers. He dressed with only half a mind, completely forgetting that he was soaking wet, his hair under the swim cap was dripping down his neck and chest, and that he wore no shirt under his jacket. He pulled both shoes on and dashed out the door.

Rin pushed past his sister and her boyfriend without a word.

* * *

He was halfway through the train ride to the vet when he realized, via the odd looks he was getting and one helpful preteen girl pointing at her head, that he was still wearing his swim cap and goggles. Burning scarlet (he was too upset to be truly mortified, but was sure as hell embarrassed) he yanked them both off. The redhead balled them up and shoved them in a pocket of his jacket- and felt his phone.

_Fuck, did Haru call? I mean, he knew I was at practice but..._

Rin opened his cell and winced. Two missed calls and a half dozen unopened texts. The latest two texts were from Nagisa-  _'Rin-chan where r u?! Haru-chan's really upset!'_  and the earlier  _'Rin-chan once u get this go 2 the vet ASAP! Rei n I are goin now!'_  but the rest were from Haru.

Though fear clawed at him, he finally managed the courage to select Haru's last text.

_'Rin I need you to come to the vet's office. The one we set up her appointment at. She's not doing well.'_

It was stark, it was painful, and it was Haru.

The first sounded much more panicked, and he turned his attention unwillingly to the voicemails. God, he should really listen to them, but he very much did not want to. The redhead worried his lip and searched out his headphones. He stood, headed to the rear of the car, and faced the corner. If these messages were half as bad as Rin hoped they weren't, he was going to be bawling and no one needed to see that but Haru and Makoto.

He plugged in the headphones. Swallowed heavily. Tapped the first one.

He collapsed into the seat in front of him only a few seconds into the message, shaking.

God, hearing Haru cry was so wrong. With Rin, crying was, on occasion, a daily occurrence. If something was really stressing him out (An Old Japanese exam he needed to fucking  _ace_  to stay on the team, for example) and/or depressing him he would be an emotional wreck and fall back on his lovers. Before he could have-  _would_  have- gotten angry. Makoto was known to let tears escape when frightened (oh their movie nights) or when Ren had been very sick a few months back, and then...

_No._

No, if he thought of Haru drowning now the redhead knew he'd start sobbing pitifully in his little shameful corner of the train.

_"-vet's. Rin, please hurry. As soon as you get this. I need you, Rin, I can't do this-"_

_'Message end.'_  The automated voice told him calmly after cutting off his boyfriend's choked cries.

Rin spent the rest of the journey pass him by. He stared at his cell, awaiting another call, anything, and generally moped in his corner seat.  
The redhead slipped out the doors on his end of the train before anyone else even swiveled their heads in his direction. He took off at a dead sprint, determined to reach his no-doubt distraught boyfriend as fast as humanly possible.

* * *

Makoto drummed his fingers against his thigh, beyond bored, as he stared without seeing at the vending machine. He and his family waited on pins and needles for news. He was excited about the child being born, he was. But a niggling feeling pawed at his mind and made him uneasy.

He chalked it up to nervousness.

He certainly wasn't lonel- oh.

He was. He was usually always under the accompaniment of one of his lovers, Nagisa or Rei or Gou, and so being without was mildly lonely. Of course, the twins were here and his parents, but when you were supposed to be quiet in a sterile environment there wasn't too much you could do so Makoto had ended up with his siblings on the floor, hunched over a kid's table and coloring with the pair.

When Ren had started to complain of thirst Makoto had immediately volunteered to go fetch drinks for the whole family.

As he slotted money into the machine he wondered if there was a particular reason for him to be so melancholy today... And abruptly he remembered Haru.

A coin clattered to the floor as green eyes widened with realization.

Haru, home alone without Rin, was probably twice as lonely as he was.

Smiling, Makoto realized he could always text the older boy. Calls weren't allowed in this part of the hospital.

The brunette gathered up the collection of drinks and hurried back to his family, excited at the thought of talking to Haru.

"Otou-san," he called.

His father looked up and blinked before smiling and taking his coffee with a word of thanks.

"Okaa-san."

Megumi giggled and accepted the bottle of water he held out for her.

"Ran, Ren." He said at last, tapping each twin on the head with their cans. They took them with gleeful wide eyes- their parents had agreed that they could have  _one_  can of soda, since the whole family had been up fairly early.  
Makoto retreated back to his seat next to his mother and set his drink on the floor. The brunette sighed happily as he pulled out his cell and powered it on, more than happy to talk to Haru to pass the time away.

Except it didn't turn on.

Brow furrowing he pressed the power button again, holding it a little more firmly and for an extra few seconds, but the small green light still didn't come on.

"Oh, it's dead," he murmured quietly to himself, feeling morose.  _Must have died on the way over. I had it on the whole ride with it on silent so I never heard that it was dying. Well, that's a pity..._

He glanced aside and saw his mother charging her own phone and grinned.

"Okaa-san, can I borrow your charger? I didn't realize but my phone is dead."

Megumi laughed, unclipped her phone, and handed her son the cord.

A few minutes later the mobile slipped from her son's hands and Makoto shot upright.

The Tachibana family all jumped at the clatter of plastic on linoleum and the older woman glanced up at her son. "Sweetheart, what's wro-"

Megumi stared, shocked, at the look of panic and desperation on her child's stark-white face.

She caught his wrist. "Has something happened to Haru or Rin?"

He lunged for his cell and played the last voicemail.

_"Makoto, where are you? I need you to come home, I- something bad's happened and I can't... I can't, I don't want her to die, Mako, she's-"_

A look of mixed horror and heartbreak was her son's expression and Megumi put a hand on Makoto's shoulder.

"Go ahead, sweetie. They need you. I'll give your Aunt Suzuka your regards."

Makoto nodded but didn't move, seemingly attached to the floor. His mother squeezed his shoulder and he flinched. After a second he put a quivering hand on his chair and pulled himself to his feet.

"I'm sorry," he whispered before he left.

"Don't be!" She called after him. She could still see him trembling and could tell he wanted to run at top speed to his lover's side, but restrained himself- this was a hospital- until he hit the elevator button.

"Mommy..." Ren sniffled, tugging at her skirt, "Is Aki-chan gonna be okay? What about Haru-nii-chan?"

Megumi pulled her youngest child into her lap and rubbed his back.

"I'm sure everything will be just fine, sweetheart."

But in all the years she'd known the formerly recalcitrant boy, she'd never heard Haruka cry before.

* * *

Makoto relived the horrifying message all the way through the train ride.

_"Where are you?"_

It sounded so accusing, so sharp and angry when he replayed it in his head.

_"Something bad's happened."_

_"I don't want her to die."_

The brunette dug the heels of his hands into his eyes and willed away all of the bad images.

No. He had to hold out hope for their kitten. He had to. She had seemed fine this morning, what could have-

A car's brakes screeched across his imagination and he shuddered.

No. Haru would never let Akiha get out. No way.

_She'll be fine,_  he told himself.  _She'll be just fine. Akiha's a tough kitten._

* * *

"Rin!"

The redhead paused halfway up the stairs and whirled. "Mako!"

He waited for the brunette to run to him and they embraced roughly.

"Rin, do you know what's happened?"

The redhead thrust his lover out at arm's length, horror dawning in his expression. "Y-you mean you're just getting here too?"

Makoto looked confused for the space of a second before the wave of dread broke over him. "Oh god Haru's been alone all this time."

Red eyes widened to match fearful green and then the pair were taking the steps in powerful leaps- two then three at a time- hand in hand.

* * *

They heard Nagisa before they saw him, loudly bemoaning their lack of attendance to a pacifying Rei, and Rin had never before wanted to simultaneously punch and hug someone like he did right then.

_Bless you, Nagisa, for being here when we couldn't. Thank you._

When they rounded the bend before the vet's office Nagisa lit up like a struck match and waved so hard his body rocked side to side. Rei just eyed their pace, probably calculated velocity and mass and some shit, and held the door open.

* * *

Haru's heart leapt into his throat when the door burst open and he heard them calling his name.

* * *

"Haru!"

"Haru, are you-"

Rin fell silent because the look Haru fixed his lovers with was heartbreaking.

"Makoto, Rin-" he whispered, his voice a raspy croak.

"Haru, is everything-"

"N-no."

Haru stared at them with watery eyes, his hiccup lodged in his throat, and then he scrambled out of his chair like he couldn't take sitting anymore and all but fell into Makoto's arms.

"I'm so sorry, I'm sorry, I didn't know what to do! She- she just-" Haru devolved into nonsense and he squeezed his lovers tight to him. Rin swallowed bile down at the state of his boyfriend and the shuddering he could feel under his hands.

"I-It'll be okay." The redhead stammered. "She'll be... okay."

Makoto murmured more of the same weak reassurances and rubbed Haru's back in slow soothing circles. Rin glanced past shaking shoulders and saw the remainder of the Iwatobi team take their seats, both looking equally nervous, and...

A traditional Japanese couple and their Akita stared down their noses at the way three boys were holding so tightly to each other. Rin wanted to say something, to tell them exactly what he thought of them and their backwards rules. But his voice wouldn't function so he settled for lifting his lip in a furious snarl.

They helped Haru into his seat and took a chair on either side of their lover, gripping his hands tight. The traditional couple seemed scandalized and Rin turned a fierce glare on them until they looked away. He was glad when they were called in shortly after that.

* * *

Despite how it often bugged Rin, to have even Nagisa's good humor subdued seemed like a sin. The blonde sat next to Rei a seat apart from the threesome and kicked his legs back and forth with a twisted frown on his face.

"Shouldn't we have heard something by now?" The shaggy-haired boy complained. "Haru-chan's been here a long time."

"Nagisa," Rei scolded softly.

"What did they tell you when you asked, Rei?" The blonde queried as he turned his pink puppy-dog eyes on the blue-haired boy (who was always weak to that).

"They were starting her on treatment. That was all the nurse said."

Makoto looked up and past his lovers at that. "Treatment? Doesn't that mean she has something treatable then?"

Haru seemed to perk up a bit at Makoto's abstract pondering, blue eyes regaining a hint of a shimmer, and Rin kissed his cheek.

"You see, babe? She'll be fine."

The door's bell jingled again and a quiet voice hissed "Onii-chan!"

Rin jumped and looked past Haru. Gou was standing in the door, her head poking around the frame, eyes wide.

He gave her a disbelieving look. "Gou, what the hell? You can come in, you know."

She blushed a little. "Are you sure? It seems kind of crowded..."

"Gou."

"R-right."

She wasn't alone- Captain Mikoshiba followed after her- and he instinctively scowled.

"What are you doing here?" He tried not to snarl it, since it was nice to have his sister there, but he didn't want to see her holding the older male's hand either.

"Onii-chan! It's only natural I'd be here for you and Haruka-nii-chan and Makoto-nii-san. And Sei was worried about you too," she said with a soft giggle as she looked up at him. "So we came to see you once practice was over."

"Thanks, I guess."

"Nitori and Sugimura went to Nanase's house; they're keeping an eye on the place since Hazuki texted Nitori that Nanase didn't lock his door in his hurry."

"Tell them thanks for that later," Haru rasped.

"Matsuoka."

Rin flinched and looked up; Seijuurou was regarding him with narrowed gold eyes.

"Y-yeah?"

Rin had expected at least some fallout for him rushing out of practice like that. With his Captain dating his sister and his sister one-hundred percent determined to follow him and come to the vet's office he'd had little doubt Mikoshiba would have joined her. And it seemed like now was the time he would be getting his punishment.

"Tell me if you need any time off from the team."

Rin blinked.  _What?_

Seijuurou looked away. "Just tell me ahead of time and I can arrange it so that the school doesn't get their panties in a bunch over it, yeah?"

Rin blinked again, the gears in his brain sluggish, before it slid into place that Mikoshiba was being nice.  
"Seijuurou... Thank you."

"Anytime!" The taller redhead barked, familiar wide, pearly grin back in place.

* * *

A woman in a white coat came out the door a few minutes later.

"Nanase-sa- Oh!" She took in the full waiting room with surprise. "Are any of you patients?" She asked, eyeing their lack of animal accompaniment.

"No." Seijuurou supplied for them.

The woman beamed. "Well then it appears Akiha-chan has a lot of friends!"

Haru blinked, still unable to process how gleeful these people were, especially when he couldn't handle one sick kitten, and hoped it meant she wasn't here with bad news about Akiha.

"Y-yeah." He said.

"First, tell me one thing. How did you get your kitten?"

"I- I found her wandering around the pool building on the campus of Samezuka Academy." Rin said slowly. "I thought she might've been separated from her mother so I let her be, but two hours later after practice she was still there, hiding under some bushes and freezing, so I hid her in an abandoned outbuilding on campus. Later I brought her to Haru's because he lives alone and I knew Makoto was good with animals. Since then we've all gotten really attached."

The redhead hated how easily the lies rolled off his tongue. A necessary evil, he knew, but not any easier for it. He squeezed Haru's hand tightly in his.

_I brought that kitten home because I wanted her to be ours._

The doctor smiled- and glanced at their entwined hands- and shoved her hands in her pockets.

"I see. Thank you for telling me. You see, if you had bought her from someone I would need to lodge a complaint about the breeder because you should not have been sold Akiha-chan with her condition."

"Condition?" Makoto whispered.

"Yes. Your kitten has hookworms, and because they compromised her immune system, she got a severe infection and cold. Kittens get worse very quickly at their age. A space of a few hours and you'll have a very sick kitten. You did the right thing by bringing her in as fast as you did, Nanase-san. Some antibiotics and some worming medicine and she'll make a full recovery. She'll probably need to stay here for a few days so we can take care of her and monitor her condition, if that's all right."

Nagisa leapt to his feet, grinning that grin that could light up a room. "Really?!"

The doctor laughed at the blonde's exuberance. "Really really."

The threesome surged to their feet; hands dropped apart to not call further attention to the comforting gesture.

"So Akiha will be all right?" Rin asked, fighting back tears.

"She'll be just fine in a couple of days."

Haru slumped a little with pure relief but Makoto flushed and looked at the floor, hands tight at his sides. "W-well we don't- we don't have enough money, exactly, for continued care, m-ma'am."

The veterinarian smiled and tilted her head. "We have payment plans if necessary."

Makoto bowed. "Then yes, sensei, we would be very grateful."

"C-can we see her? Just for a bit?"

The vet beamed at them, her gaze on Haru's downcast eyes and dark frown. "Yes of course, dear."

* * *

The threesome had seen her soaked through before, her fur slicked flat over her ribs and tail a whip, but she looked even tinier on the tabletop. She almost blended in with the towel laid over the cold metal except for her spots of glaring color.

Makoto swallowed hard as he entered the room, willing himself to be strong; his lovers needed him. Rin's lip was quivering and he was already on the edge of tears. Haru walked in haltingly, breathing hard, and his fingers trembled as he reached out to pet the soft-furred head.

"Akiha?" He croaked. "A-Akiha, wa-wake up..."

"Nanase-san, she's all right. Rest is good for her right now. She was very weak, and we had to anesthetize her because she was quite upset about the IV."

Makoto shuddered- he shared that fear of needles with their kitten- and watched as Haru leaned on the table and pet the still, silent kitten.

"...she wouldn't wake up earlier, either." He whispered. His voice was thick, on the verge of tears again, and wavered slightly- "Akiha, p-please..." -then cracked.

The door cracked open. "Kanashima-sensei, Toshio is showing some signs of infection-"

The vet glanced over her shoulder. "All right, I'll head over to him now. Shiori, stay with this group, would you?"

"All right."

"Is there a way to wake her up?" Haru asked finally, finding their kitten's silence unnerving and desperate to hear her tiny peeping voice again.

The technician jumped. "Well, she's been sedated a while..." She checked the charts quickly, "...Nanase-san. The sedatives should wear off soon but until then..."

He didn't know what made him say it, but it felt right. "She likes- she loves water. Akiha really loves water. She might-" Haru swallowed hard past the painful lump in his throat. "She might wake up if she gets a bath."

"Nanase-san, it may negatively affect her health to be drenched-"

"Please, just try it."

The vet tech looked a little nervous, but she had a blow-dryer and towel handy, so...

"All right."

* * *

A bath bucket was filled with two inches of water and the ill kitten placed in it.

Haru, Rin and Makoto crouched next to the large porcelain tub as the vet tech set the small container in the tub and waited with bated breath as the technician carefully set their kitten in the water.  
Akiha's head lolled and Haru's hands shot out to balance her head before it could fall in the water.  
The next few minutes were tense and silent. Makoto's heart was pounding a staccato rhythm in his chest, desperate for even the slightest movement from their kitten. Rin slowly reached into the tub and sloshed a little water over Akiha's back with trembling fingers.

Her ear twitched. The three boys caught their breath simultaneously, eyes widening.

Ocean-colored eyes cracked open.

Makoto clamped down on the happy shout that almost left him but a sharp noise of excitement escaped before he could stop it.  
Green-blue eyes opened wider and wider and then fixed on Rin, who exhaled and smiled down at the sick kitten.

"Hey sweetie."

A soft mewl was his response and a tear streaked down the redhead's cheek. Makoto echoed the sentiment, wiping the moisture from his eyes with a quiet laugh.  
Akiha struggled to weak paws and the threesome all jerked forward. Each one was willing to help and make sure she'd be okay, but the kitten stood without their help and pawed at the thin layer of water in her bath. She looked up at her owners and tilted her head and mewed as if to ask why there wasn't more water for her to play with.

Haruka laughed and ducked his head, pressed it to the tub's rim, and his chuckling morphed suddenly from relieved laughter to quiet sobs.

* * *

Sick pets are the worst thing, trust me on this.

 


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Swimmer sleepovers and kittens coming home.
> 
> (If the formatting is spotty tell me!)

Last of a three-part update!

**Chapter 10- Of Ennui and Recoveries**  
Haru bowed deeply to Nitori, who squeaked and blushed and waved his hands wildly in a wasted effort to tell the older boy to stop, and thanked him for taking care of his home while he was away.

"N-N-N-Nanase-senpai! I-it was nothing, really!"

A bump rattled from the back of the house.

"Ai, what's wrong?" Kenji asked, his voice a sleepy mumble as he tottered to his boyfriend's side. The younger boy rubbed one tired eye then realized who was at the door. "Oh! Haruka-senpai!" He wrapped an arm around his boyfriend and the pair stared at the black-haired boy with wide eyes.

"I-Is Akiha-chan all right?" Nitori asked hesitantly.

Rin draped himself over Haru's shoulders and nodded. "She'll be fine."

Makoto, hands in his pockets, smiled at the younger pair. "She'll make a full recovery in a few days, it seems."

Nitori beamed and Sugimura offered up a shy grin of his own.

"That's so great! Rin-senpai!"

The redhead pointed at his roommate. "Hey. You are technically in the house. You know the rule."

The silver-haired boy laughed. "Sorry, Rin. Kenji and I can leave now, if you want- I-It's past curfew for me anyway. Dad'll be really mad."

The redhead considered his underclassmen for a moment, then tilted his head to whisper something to his boyfriend. Blue eyes slid sideways, then down, something of a thinking frown tugging at the black-haired boy's lips, before Haru nodded.

"If they want to. I don't mind."

"Sleepover!" Rin cheered, reaching out and ruffling Nitori's hair.

"Eh?! Haruka-se..." The younger coughed at the sharp look he received. "Haru. Is that okay? R-really okay? A-and Kenji can stay too? If he wants to?"

"I-I'll stay if you do, Ai." Kenji whispered with a shy smile.

"Sleepover!" Nagisa crowed, dragging Rei into the house.

Seijuurou waved a hand nonchalantly as he strolled into the home. "I'll make up an excuse tomorrow, eh Matsuoka?"

Rin shrugged. "Fine by me. Although, Captain..."

The rest faded away as Rin followed the taller redhead into the living room and Gou giggled as she tailed the pair, tugging the remaining Samezuka students after her.

The sudden absence of the others and the profound silence they left in their wake made Haru shiver. He was happier, lately, with people around. Not only were they his friends, but their loud chatter kept the negative thoughts away. Without it, he had...

"Haru."

...Makoto. Even without everything and everyone else, he had Makoto.

He turned to face the brunette and green eyes were glowing in the darkness, his usual gentle smile on his face, the silver-white moonlight against his back making the older instinctively think of some divine gift. And maybe the brunette was: someone who understood the black-haired boy without words, without judgment, without confusion.

"She'll be all right."

They were the same simple words said to Haru all day. It was different now though. Now it was something about the emotion in Makoto's eyes and the soothing tone of his voice that finally made Haru believe it.

"Everything will be all right. Rin, the kitten, our friends. Everything is all right. Everyone is all right." He took Haru's hand and kissed his forehead.

"Now let's go inside before they wonder if  _we're_  all right." He said with a hint of a chuckle.

Blue eyes softened at the broad back as Makoto walked by.

"I love you."

And he turned, beaming. "I love you too, Haruka."

* * *

Nagisa tried to set up party game after party game and kept getting shut down with vehemence by Rin, who was sure that a.) Nitori and Sugimura were both too tired and too new to be doing anything couple-y like the blonde was suggesting and b.) he didn't want to see his sister doing anything couple-y with her boyfriend under any circumstances  _ever_.  
The blonde finally gave up with a loud huff, crossed his arms, and pouted. Deeming that minefield avoided Rin was content to find something else to do... until his sister yawned.

"Gou, you're tired?"

She shook her head with a sleepy smile. "No no, I'm fine!"

"Gou." Rin said and it was that disappointed tone.

"...kinda. I'm sorry."

Rin snorted. "Don't be. Sugimura's already gone."

The brunette had started to slump sideways a few minutes ago and now laid with his head in his boyfriend's lap, his breathing soft and even, as Nitori petted his hair.

Gou giggled at the pair and the silver-haired boy flushed (but it was a happy blush).

"Well then let's all retire, okay?"

"I'll get the futons," Haru said as he got to his feet.

Rin offered a hand to his sister. "Gou, come on, I'll set you up in Haru's room."

"E-eh?" She squeaked after he helped her stand. "But what about..?"

Her brother cast an idle glance back at her. "We sleep in the master. So Haru's room is open. And as a general rule, not just because you're my sister, I am not letting you sleep in a room full of guys."

The girl rolled her eyes. "Pretty sure only one is interested in  _me_."

"One too many." Rin muttered under his breath as he all but dragged her up the stairs.

"Seijuurou-kun, you may want to take the couch."

"Yeah, Tachibana, that seems like a good plan."

Makoto set the table upright against the wall to clear space and a moment later Haru came back with an armful of bedding. Between himself, Makoto and Rei, they had the living and dining rooms set up for decent sleeping arrangements.  
Nitori and Sugimura were shortly all wrapped up in their own futon and blankets and giggling quietly to each other. Nagisa tackle-glomped his boyfriend to their own bedding and with a much-put-upon sigh Rei bid his upperclassmen good night.  
Haru and Makoto made their leisurely way up the stairs, hand in hand, and found Rin already turning down the bedclothes.  
Haru was the one in the middle that night and he wouldn't have traded his position for the world because after the day he'd had he needed them to be so close.  
His eyes were still gritty and felt swollen from all his crying-  _how did Rin cry all the time?_ \- and he was happy to bury his head in Makoto's chest and will his troubles into the void of unconsciousness.

* * *

Rin stepped over body after body, muttering under his breath about who he was passing- "God, Nagi's drooling all over poor Rei..."- until he came to his underclassmen's side. He crouched by the pair's heads and smiled despite himself.  
They were cuddling face to face, arms wrapped around each other, foreheads touching. He gave Nitori only a cursory glance- he'd seen the silver-haired boy sleeping before- and focused on Sugimura. He didn't know too much about the kid, really. Specialized in breaststroke but was honestly pretty well-rounded. He'd put up some halfway decent times since Rin had started paying attention to him. But it was the way Nitori lit up around his classmate that made Rin happy. Every time he was with the brunette the blushy, nervous pair just evened out and they became too adorable for words.  
Still smiling he reached down and pulled their blanket up and tucked the pair in.

"Rin," Makoto called softly and the redhead lifted a hand to show he understood.

As he left the living room Nitori cracked an eye open, watching his upperclassman leave and kiss Makoto in greeting, and a broad grin stretched across his face. The silver-haired boy nuzzled back into his boyfriend's side and went back to sleep.

_It's so nice to see you smile like you mean it, Rin-senpai._

* * *

The redhead pushed Makoto out of the way of the oven, taking the handle of the pot away from his lover with a click of the tongue. "No no, Mako, you burn water sometimes. You get the rice, okay? No sense in burning down Haru's kitchen."

The brunette shoved the smaller teen's shoulder with a pout. "It was one time, and you can barely notice the stain on the wall-"

"Bullshit, I've seen it-"

"Ah! Kou-chan."

Rin jumped and turned. His sister was leaning against the doorjamb and watching him with a look he knew well out of her nowadays- a warm happiness that suffused her entire being- and he rolled his eyes and beckoned her into the room.

"Stop making that face," he groused.

"Sorry!" She laughed. "You just look so happy. It... It makes me ha-"

He ruffled unbound crimson hair. "Yeah yeah, I know.  _I'm not a dick anymore, isn't it great?_  Kou, I get enough of that from him" he nudged Makoto, "and Haru. Don't start."

The redhead wandered over to the fridge and the brunette leaned down to whisper in Gou's ear.  
"Don't worry, Kou-chan. I missed that smile too."

"Right?" She hissed back.

"Oi... What are you two muttering about over there?"

They both snapped straight and fixed Rin with forced innocent smiles and cheery expressions.

"Nothing!"

"Nothing at all, Onii-chan!"

The redhead's face twisted into a familiar disbelieving scowl. "Yeah, like I  _believe_  that."

Makoto and Gou waited until Rin turned back to the stove and grinned at each other, slapping a quick high five. Gou skipped off to her boyfriend before her brother could whirl again.  
She glanced back- Makoto had embraced Rin from behind and that kept her brother from seeing what she was about to do.

"Sei~" she sing-songed. "Hey, Sei, are you awake?"

She reached for his shoulder and he met her hand halfway, bringing to his lips and kissing it. She giggled as he cracked open one golden eye and he pulled the too-short blanket open for her. There sure as hell wasn't much space on the couch, not even for Seijuurou, but they made it work and he wrapped his arms around her and tucked her in. He shifted a few times, long legs trying to find a comfortable position, and then all was still between them. She buried her nose in the space between those  _glorious_  pecs and he nosed soft carmine hair. Almost against her will she found her fingertips tracing the contours of his back- trapezius down to latissimus dorsi and in along the thoracolumbar fascia - and there was a snort of a laugh against her hair so she stopped. "Sorry."

"I don't mind," he rumbled. "How can I?"

"Breakfast!" The redhead in the kitchen hollered.

* * *

Breakfast would have been a quiet affair- Haru had come down from the bath with a sad sigh and murmured to his lovers about missing Akiha in the tub with him- except for the fact that the Samezuka swimmers had just realized that they did  _not_  have much time to get to their school without getting in more trouble. They ate voraciously but for a few small issues (Sugimura's quiet "Er,  _how_  many mackerel dishes are there?" and a chorus of "You get used to it." from the Iwatobi team and Rin) and hurried out the door after a few lingering goodbye kisses to their respective lovers on Iwatobi team.

* * *

Makoto hung up the phone and smiled at the rest of the table. "Kanashima-sensei says Akiha is doing good and we can bring her home tomorrow."

The twins leapt up from their chairs whooping and cheering as the Tachibana men laughed. Haru beamed, happier about this news then he would let on to anyone but Makoto's knowing eyes, and Megumi Tachibana smiled.

"I'm glad! Almost in time for the weekend, isn't it? Rin will be home too!"

If possible Haru looked even happier, sapphire eyes shining, and Makoto almost took his seat next to his boyfriend again. But Haru reached up and the brunette  _knew_  the look he was getting. Without looking at his family lest he turn bright red, he leaned down and kissed his longtime-friend-turned-more.

It was only when Ran giggled that he pulled back and Haru gripped one arm, leaning his head against it and smiled shyly up at the brunette. A warm grin was his response and Makoto took his seat to continue eating.

* * *

What seemed like too-few hours later Makoto's alarm rang and he sighed, unearthing himself from the blankets and turning it off.

"Haru-chan? Wake up."

"I was already awake," the black-haired boy replied quietly. "And lay off the -chan."

"Come on then," he murmured, nuzzling the back of his lover's neck. "Today we bring Akiha-chan home."

The pair got dressed slowly. Haru couldn't take his eyes off his boyfriend and the brunette couldn't find a clean uniform shirt for the life of him.

"Ahhh, I was sure I had one..."

"Try the third drawer, left side."

"Eh?" Makoto pulled a spare shirt from his dresser. "When did-?"

"Your mother put them in there last night while you were playing with Ren and Ran."

Makoto laughed and buttoned up the school shirt. "Thanks, Haru."

The black-haired boy looked away and Makoto chuckled quietly with a smile.

After breakfast though, and while Makoto was tightening his tie, a stray thought struck him and he blinked at his mother.

"Okaa-san, can I ask you a favor?"

Megumi looked up with the Tachibana family smile and handed her boys their lunches. "Of course, darling. What is it?"

"Akiha. When we bring her home tonight, she'll need to be watched for the next few days and we have school, so..."

"You want me to keep an eye on her while you're gone?"

Makoto nodded.

"I can do that." She laughed. "Now get to school and think of having your kitten home tonight!"

* * *

The day dragged on and on and on and by the end Haru was just depressed. He almost wanted to skip swim practice, he was so intent on getting Akiha, but the second Makoto had voiced that thought of his aloud their red-haired manager had whirled and pointed her rolled-up club papers right in the brunette's face.

"No way! We can't miss any training at all! Samezuka's being nice about the pool anyway and we are not going to look bad by not showing up!"

Nagisa got up on tiptoes and leaned close, telling Haruka in a stage whisper "Gou-chan doesn't want to look ungrateful after using her sex appeal to get us into Samezuka's pool."

Gou shrieked and swatted the blonde overtop the head with the roll. "Nagisa-kun! It's not like that! Not like that at all!"

Nagisa grabbed his head and whined. "Waaaah! Gou is mean to me! Rei-chan, make her stop!"

The blue-haired boy pushed his glasses up. "You deserved it, Nagisa-kun, for making such a comment."

" _Whaaaat?!_  Rei-chan! You're supposed to agree with your boyfriend!"

The Reigisa duo continued to bicker good-naturedly as they hurried to the train station and it was only when Makoto leaned down and whispered "Rin will be there and we'll go get her together," as they waited that Haru perked up at all.

* * *

Gou criticized them up and down about their piss-poor times (even Rin, to his team's amusement) and they apologized profusely. Still, as Rei took his place at the head of the lane Haru sat on the edge of the pool with his boyfriends and continued to look miserable.  
Gou sighed and shook her head, planting her hands on her hips.

"Honestly, those three..." She grumbled. "Haruka-senpai, your run is next! Please get ready!"

The black-haired boy sighed against Makoto's shoulder and gathered a knee underneath himself when Makoto grabbed his arm and turned Haru to face him.

"Make us proud?" He whispered as he let go.

"Better we do, faster my sister can be persuaded to let us go." Rin agreed with a dirty look in her (mostly Mikoshiba's) direction.

Haru's brow furrowed for a moment and then he smiled slightly and nodded. "Right. I will."

It was his third best posted time.

* * *

They left on a high note that night, Rin's arms around his boyfriends' shoulders, each excited for their kitten to be back home.

"...think she'll be happy to see us?" Haru queried softly as they stood before the vet building.

"She loves us, Haru. She missed Rin after he was gone a few days, and-"

"-she's been in a strange place for almost a week without us. I'm sure she can't wait to come home." The redhead finished.

The second they walked in the door the receptionist lit up.  
They'd become a constant fixture for the past week, coming every day to see their kitten, though sometimes it was the redhead alone without the pair that dressed alike. It had made the whole staff fall in love with the three boys' dedication to their little stray.

"Oh! Is it time for Akiha-chan to go home already? Goodness, how time flies!" She beamed at them. "Give me a moment and I'll fetch her for you."

Haru felt like the two minutes the receptionist was in the back dragged on even longer than the whole lonely week without the jingle of Akiha's little collar or the rattle of her toys. Her tiny mews and the way she splashed water around and swam with a look of joy. Her small body curled up next to him or between him and his lovers. Her-

An eager peep snapped the black-haired boy from his melancholy and a small white blotchy blur scampered out of the cat door and pelted madcap straight for the threesome.

Haru knelt and Akiha launched herself into his chest purring louder than she ever had before.

When his lovers joined in the petting of  _their_  kitten, for that moment all Haru cared about was the wistful feeling that all was right in his world again.

* * *

(No I'm not killing the kitty)

**Author's Note:**

> Cross-posting this from FF.net!
> 
> Umm, hello everyone! I'm a little teensy bit nervous about this (so many fics are better than mine on here oh my ._.) but I see a lot of people in the Free!dom prefer AO3 so I thought it would be a good idea to post here too! Thanks to the amazing teicakes I can do it now (loooooovvvve youuuuuu Teeeeeiiiii <3 ) and so here's the first chapter! Tell me what you think please? It gets better I swear oTL


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